Rejecting the bail applications of Harish Mishra, M.D. Bhojwani, Navin Budhraj and Laxman Singh, the CMM said: ``Keeping in view the fact that the evidence brings out an offence ...Punishable with imprisonment for life, and there being sufficient evidence to infer that all the accused were party to criminal conspiracy, I am not inclined to enlarge the accused persons on bail.'' He fixed February 16 for scrutiny of documents relating to the case.

H. Suresh Rao, director of Pushpak Aviation, has alleged that the accused grabbed his helicopter after he hired it out to Sharma for his election campaign in 1996.

Citing the detailed order passed last year, when the copter was released to Rao, the CMM said: ``The circumstances brought out through the statements of witnesses mentioned earlier would show that the copter was wrongfully taken back at the instance of accused Romesh Sharma. The incident on April 11, 1996 sufficiently brings out the offence under Section 395 (punishment for dacoity) of the Indian Penal Code''.

While asking for bail for the four accused, the defence said that the entire prosecution case was implausible and concocted. They said that the dispute was basically a civil case but had been given the colour of a criminal one. The defence also submitted that the helicopter was given to Sharma under a memorandum of understanding and that false allegations had been made against the accused in the FIR, which was registered after two and a half years. ``Recoveries have been made and all the accused persons have voluntarily joined in investigation, they deserve to get bail,'' the defence added.