The second Fast Track court judge G R Patil dismissed the bail petition filed by Govindaraju on the grounds that the chargesheet had already been filed in the case and if granted bail, the accused might tamper with the witnesses.
Pursuant to the directions by the High Court last year, the government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Joint Commissioner Crime (West) Pranab Mohanty to investigate into recent murder of RTI activist Lingaraju.
Govindaraju and his wife Gowramma, Azad Nagar Corporator, who has also been arrested, are the main accused in the case.
On November 20 last year, Lingaraju (40), an RTI activist was brutally hacked to death at Vittal Nagar in Chamarajpet by three unidentified persons in front of his house when he and his wife were fetching water from a public tap in Marakandeya Layout.
Recently, Lingaraju had filed a private complaint in the Lokayukta Court against Govindraju, husband of Azadnagar Corporator Gowramma. He had also lodged a complaint with the Upalokayukta against the couple.
On November 9, the Lokayukta police had raided Gowramma and Govindraju's residence and recovered property worth over Rs 16 crore.
Lingaraju is also reported to have provided crucial documents, during preliminary investigation of the cases involving Gowramma and Govindraju, which subsequently led to the raids, according to police.
