The apex court yesterday rejected the second anticipatory bail application of Bar Council of India’s (BCI’s) vice-chairman and alleged co-accused R Dhanapal Raj in the CBI graft case, as defence counsel Ram Jethmalani’s assurances that appellants would not “tamper with evidence” failed to elicit positive response from the judges.

Dhanapal, who is also a member of Tamil Nadu State Bar Council, was named a co-accused along with Delhi Bar Council member Rajinder Rana for his alleged involvement in a law college accreditation bribery case last December.

He was denied anticipatory bail for the first time by the Delhi High Court last month after the Madras High Court’s four weeks interim relief against arrest came to an end.

This time Dhanapal pleaded for anticipatory bail before the bench comprising of justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar through senior advocate Ram Jethmalani and for quashing of the Delhi High Court order which had dismissed his earlier plea.

The Hindu reported that the bench stated in a brief order that Dhanapal’s bail application on merits could still be considered in case he was to surrender before the competent court.

Dhanapal’s entitlement for grant of anticipatory bail on the grounds that his arrest would greatly impair his dignity and self-respect found no favour with the Supreme Court, according to The Hindu.