Greater Kailash murder case
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 1: In a significant development in the high-profile Greater Kailash (Chowadi) murder case, the Supreme Court today granted bail to former SSP Sheikh Mehmoood and Ravinder Kumar Gupta alias Gola Shah while declining similar relief to four other accused, observing that sufficient material existed against them at this stage of the proceedings.
A Bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma partly allowed the appeals challenging a common order of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh dated November 4, 2025, by which the bail applications of all six accused had been rejected.
The Apex Court, however, refused bail to Parshottam Singh, Suraj Singh, Vikas Singh and Sandeep Charak, holding that the allegations and evidence on record did not justify their release pending trial.
The case stems from a complaint lodged by Jagir Singh at Police Station Gangyal on April 30, 2024. The complainant alleged that a group of persons attempted to forcibly dispossess his brother, Balbir Singh, from a 33-marla parcel of land at Greater Kailash, Chowadi.
During the alleged assault, Balbir Singh’s son, Avtar Singh, sustained injuries and subsequently succumbed, prompting police to invoke charges of murder, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy.
All six accused were arrested on May 3, 2024. According to the prosecution, the chargesheet contains CCTV footage, call detail records and statements of eyewitnesses linking the accused to the incident. The prosecution has cited 44 witnesses in support of its case.
The Supreme Court also took note of the progress made in the trial after its earlier interventions aimed at expediting proceedings. On January 16, 2026, the Court had directed the trial court to fix two consecutive dates every week for recording the statements of eyewitnesses, expressing concern over delays in the trial. Subsequently, on April 6, it had urged the trial court to complete the cross-examination of eyewitnesses at the earliest.
When the matter came up for hearing, the Court was informed that evidence of five out of six proposed eyewitnesses had been completed, while the sixth witness had been dropped. Appreciating the efforts of the trial court, the Bench commended 2nd Additional Sessions Judge Jammu, Anoop Sharma, for ensuring timely recording of evidence.
During arguments, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for Sheikh Mehmoood, contended that no eyewitness had assigned any specific role to the former police officer and that CCTV footage did not establish his presence at the scene. He also highlighted Mehmoood’s advanced age of 73 years and his medical condition, including Crohn’s disease requiring specialised treatment.
Senior Advocate Sakal Bhushan, representing Gola Shah, argued that witness testimonies regarding his alleged involvement had undergone material changes and that CCTV footage did not show him entering the disputed plot. He also cited his age and prolonged incarceration since May 2024.
While reiterating that “bail is the rule and jail is an exception”, the Supreme Court observed that the principle is not absolute in cases involving grave offences such as murder and conspiracy. Considering factors such as age, health, nature of evidence and individual roles, the Court granted bail to Sheikh Mehmoood and Gola Shah, directing them to furnish bonds and comply with conditions imposed by the trial court to ensure an unhindered trial. The remaining four accused will continue to remain in judicial custody.
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