CHANDIGARH: The Director General of Police, Punjab, Mr. K.P.S. Gill, Nov.4th, appeared before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Chandigarh, Mr, Shekhar Dhawan, six days ahead of the due date and obtained bail in the infamous Rupan Deol Bajaj case catching themed Iain unawares.
The court granted bail after Mr. Gill furnished a bail bond for Rs 5,000 with a surety of an equal amount. The CJM had summoned Mr. Gill on November 10 for personal appearance in pursuance of the apex court orders.
Mr. Gill was accompanied by two of his officers when he arrived in civilian clothes around noon in a car bearing a Haryana registration number.
The Supreme Court had recently ordered the prosecution of K.P.S. Gill on a prima facie finding of “indecent behavior” on the part of the top official in slapping the posterior of a woman IAS officer at an official dinner party, seven years ago, The court had also directed the CJM to take cognizance of the police report and dispose it expeditiously, preferably within six months.
Initiating the proceedings, Alok Sengupta, a leading criminal lawyer from Calcutta, sought permission to Jet him appear immediately instead of November 10, keeping in view the unpredictable and busy schedule of the applicant as well as the security factor. Interestingly, the same advocate is defending the grandson of slain chief minister Beant Singh, Gurkirat Singh and other accused, in Katia case.
He argued that Mr. Gill was of a speedy “disposal” of the case.
He said that Mr. Gill, who was a law abiding citizen, had no intention to delay the process of the case and nobody should be prejudiced if he appeared before the scheduled date.
Simultaneously, Sengupta also moved another application seeking ‘exemption for Mr. Gill from personal appearance in the courts on the future dates of hearing. The application which was filed would be taken up on November 10, intriguingly no one appeared on behalf of Mrs. Rupan Bajaj in the court.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 10, 1995
