ROPAR: The Chief judicial magistrate, Ropar, M.L. Sarpal, has issued the release orders of Gurkirat Singh, a grandson of the Punjab Chief Minister, Beant Singh, and six others accused in the Katia kidnapping and molestation case, late in the evening on Oct.30. In all likelihood, the accused will be released from the Seonk rest house sub jail.
Earlier in the aft moon, the District and Sessions Judge, Ropar, Dr. H.C. Modi, granted conditional bail to the seven accused in the Katia kidnapping and molestation case, The judge directed all the accused to appear in his court on Nov. 30.
The district Attomey, Amarjot Singh Sidhu, said that investigations into the case had almost been. Completed and all the accused had been interrogated. Nothing had been recovered from the custody of the accused so far. Police stated that the accused were no longer required for further interrogation.
‘The counsels for the accused, Aloke Kumar Sen Gupta, Nasib Chand Tandon and Bhupinder Singh, urged that no useful purpose was going to be served by keeping them in the judicial custody since the police had completed its investigations and the accused were not required for any other purpose. They pleaded that all the accused be released on’ bail even if it was granted on certain conditions. They added that the age factor of the accused should also be taken into consideration while deciding the bail applications. They assured that the accused were ready to. Cooperate with police, and would ensure their presence whenever required.
While passing the orders of bail, the judge observed that this court could not grant blanket bail to the: accused in the present circumstances and hence, was passing conditional orders for the bails of the accused.
The judge ordered that the accused be released on bail after furnishing bail bonds of Rs one lakh each along with two sureties of Rs 50,000 each, to the satisfaction of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Ropar.
‘The judge ordered that accused, while on bail, shall not leave the country without the prion permission of the court. The judge also directed the passport authorities to impound the passports of the accused.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 4, 1994
