Chandigarh: Gunpoint robbery accused denied bail

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

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Chandigarh, January 31

Narender, Additional Sessions Judge, Chandigarh, has denied bail to an accused Sandeep, alias Khurmi, who was arrested in an alleged robbery case.

The police had registered a case against the accused on a complaint of a Maloya resident, Priyanshu. The complainant alleged that the accused, along with a woman accomplice, entered his house on October 3, 2021, and robbed him at gunpoint.

He told the police that when he, along with his mother, was sleeping in his house around 3 am, the duo reached there. The accused told him that they were from the Panchkula police and came inside the house.

The accused told him that his name was mentioned in a rape and murder case. They demanded money from him for removing his name from the case. He showed his inability to pay the amount. The accused then took out a pistol and pointed it towards him. Fearing for his life, Priyanshu gave Rs15,000 to them and the girl forced him to sign some papers. They also took his mobile phone, purse and ATM card.

The counsel for the accused argued that he had been falsely implicated in the case. Additional public prosecutor Atul Sethi opposed the application arguing that the applicant had been convicted in nine cases, whereas one more case was still pending against him apart from this case. There are chances that the applicant, if granted bail, may abscond from the trial where witnesses are yet to be examined. After hearing the arguments, the court dismissed the bail plea.

“Without commenting anything on the merits of the case, it is the settled law that mere long custody does not make the accused entitled to be given concession of bail. The challan has been filed in the case, but the charge has not been framed against the applicant. Thus, the witnesses are yet to be examined. That way, there is a possibility for the applicant to pressurise the material public witnesses in case he is given bail at this stage. Accordingly, in the light of the discussion, the application in hand stands dismissed,” said the court in the order.