Court to decide on Amar Singh’s bail tomorrow

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday reserved its order on the interim bail plea of Rajya Sabha member and former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, who is in jail for alleged involvement in the cash-for-votes scandal during the July 2008 trust vote in Parliament. 

It will now give its ruling on Tuesday, as per reports.

Singh has sought bail on health grounds in view of his "deteriorating" health. His lawyer Hariharan told Special Judge Sangita Dhingra Sehgal that unless he was released urgently; he might not be "here for the trial".

The counsel, during the hearing on September 9, pleaded that Amar Singh is suffering from urinary tract infection, which might worsen in Tihar jail as he has to share a common toilet with other inmates. "He has developed a urinary tract infection after the kidney transplant. Urinary tract infection is dangerous for a person who has undergone kidney transplant. This could lead to renal failure," he said.

"His condition might lead to kidney failure completely. He is advised to keep himself in an infection-free environment which cannot be guaranteed by the jail authorities," he said.

However, Tihar Jail authorities have made it clear before the court that the former Samajwadi Party strongman has been kept in a separate cell under hygienic conditions in the prison.

The report submitted to the court, through fax, however, added that the outcome of some crucial medical tests of Singh is still awaited.

After receiving the report, the court had posted the matter for further arguments on the interim bail plea of 55-year-old former Samajwadi Party general secretary to today and directed the jail authorities to submit all medical reports by 11 am on Monday.

In its report, the prison authorities also told the court that its jail hospital has well-equipped ambulances to rush a patient to appropriate hospitals in a condition of emergency round-the-clock.

The jail administration said Singh, who was arrested on September 6 for his alleged role in the cash-for-vote scam, has been kept in ward number four of jail number three which has 20 cells each measuring 22x8 feet. Each cell has its own separate toilet and bathroom and Singh does not have to share common public toilet, it said.

The report also said Singh, who had initially refused to give his blood sample for the medical test, agreed to give a sample this morning.

However, the counsel for Singh told the court that the reports "are only cursory" and "an opinion of jail superintendent", which cannot be relied upon.