Punjab IAS officer Sanjay Popli gets interim bail for son's death anniversary

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 20

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the release of Punjab IAS officer Sanjay Popli on interim bail from June 23 to 28.

Facing a criminal case registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Popli had moved the high court seeking interim bail on the ground that his son’s first death anniversary was falling on June 25.

Will be released on June 23

• Sanjay Popli will be released on interim bail from June 23 to 28 and will surrender himself on June 29
• His lawyer said his wife, facing disorientation and psychological distress, is under treatment and he wants to be by her side
• His 26-year-old son’s first death anniversary is falling on June 25
• The boy died of a gunshot wound in the head when a VB team was at his house in Sector 11, Chandigarh, for a search

Appearing before Justice Pankaj Jain’s Bench, senior advocate Vikram Chaudhari with counsel Keshavam Chaudhri submitted on Popli’s behalf that his wife, facing disorientation and psychological distress, was under treatment and the petitioner wanted to be by her side that day.

Popli’s 26-year-old son had died of a gunshot wound in the head when a VB team was at his house in Sector 11, Chandigarh, for a search.

Justice Jain’s Bench was also told that the petitioner had been in custody since June 28, 2022. The investigating agencies had already filed reports before the trial court. The petitioner, as such, be granted provisional bail purely on the humanitarian ground.

The state counsel, on the other hand, submitted that the bail plea was being opposed on merits, “keeping in view the serious allegations being faced by the petitioner in the disproportionate assets having been unearthed during the search and seizure”. It was further submitted that the petitioner, an IAS officer, was an influential person and there was an apprehension that he might abuse the liberty.

“Without commenting on the merits of the case and keeping in view the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, the petitioner is ordered to be released on interim bail subject to the satisfaction of trial court/Duty Magistrate from June 23 to June 28. He will surrender on June 29. It is made clear that the petitioner will share his mobile phone number with the police and he not travel out of the city during the period,” Justice Jain concluded.

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