Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 3: High Court today dismissed the bail application of the then SSP Manohar Singh, who is facing trial for fudging of evidence in the much publicized Amandeep murder case.
After hearing Senior Advocate DC Raina with Advocate Ashwani Khajuria for the accused person whereas Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi with Advocate Veenu Gupta and Deputy AG Mohd Saleem Malik for the State, Justice Tashi Rabstan observed, “the court has perused the judgment relied upon by the counsel for petitioner. In my view, the facts and gravity of offence in the case are altogether different. The courts while granting bail ensure that the witnesses may not be influenced, overpowered, won or intimidated by the accused”.
“If set at large during the course of trial there are chances of tampering with the prosecution evidence. In the instant case, the petitioner is a high profile police officer and the allegation levelled against him is of fudging the prosecution evidence. Therefore, it creates a definite doubt in the mind of Court that if concession of bail is granted to him at this stage, there is every likelihood that he may misuse the bail by making an attempt to tamper with the prosecution evidence or may influence or win over the prosecution witnesses”, the Court said.
“Out of the total prosecution witnesses listed in the charge sheet, only four witnesses have been examined so far by the prosecution. The important and material witnesses are yet to be examined. Moreso, no development has taken place in the trial of the petitioner since the bail application was rejected by the trial court and there is no new ground urged in the present bail application, which could persuade this Court to take a view other than the one taken by the trial court”, Justice Rabstan said.
Stating that trial in this case was at its infancy, Justice Rabstan said that it would be improper and premature to admit the petitioner-accused to bail at this stage. With these observations, Court dismissed the bail application.
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