Try to decide Sandhu’s bail plea on April 17, HC asks trial court

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 11

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday asked Mohali Additional Sessions Judge to make an endeavour to decide the anticipatory bail application filed by Lt Col Baljit Singh Sandhu (retd) in the murder case of CTU staffer Abhishek Guleria on April 17 (next day of hearing).

Sandu, who is the chairman of the WWICS and owner of Forest Hill Golf and Country Club in Nayagaon, had sought pre-arrest bail in the murder case of a CTU employee.

An FIR in the matter was initially registered at the Nayagaon police station on March 26 under Section 365 (abduction) of the IPC. Later, Sections 302, 201, 120-B and 34 of the IPC were added to it.

As the petition came up for hearing, the vacation Bench of Justice Hari Pal Verma observed that the anticipatory bail application filed by the petitioner was admittedly pending before the Mohali Additional Sessions Judge. It was now listed for April 17 for arguments. “Therefore, the present petition is premature. However, the trial court shall make an endeavour to decide the anticipatory bail application on the date fixed of the hearing,” Justice Verma added while disposing of the plea.

The victim, Abhishek Guleria of Burail, had gone missing on March 14. He was found dead on the Pinjore-Baddi road on March 25. Punjab Director-General of Police Suresh Arora had constituted a special investigation team on March 28 to probe the death. The SIT comprises IGP (Crime) Shashi Prabha, Assistant Inspector-General of Police and Mohali Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Singh Chahal.

The police had called Sandhu for questioning after recording the statement of the three accused arrested in the case.

His aides, on the other hand, have demand a CBI probe. They claimed the police called Sandhu for questioning, based on statement of the three accused, without recording their statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC. It was added that the victim was not known to any of the office-bearers and was not employed with the organisation at any juncture.