A local court has rejected the second regular bail application of Panjab University (PU) professor Bharat Bhushan Goyal, accused of murdering his wife Seema Goyal in 2021.
Seeking bail, the defence argued that the investigation was unfair, there was no direct evidence connecting Goyal to the offence, and since the couple’s daughter, Dr Parul Goyal, had already testified, there was no possibility of the accused influencing the principal witness.
Additional sessions judge Dr Harpreet Kaur dismissed the plea on Wednesday, holding that the daughter’s examination does not amount to a “substantial change in circumstances” warranting reconsideration of bail. The court further observed that the accused’s first bail application had already been rejected in March on merit.
The court relied on a Supreme Court judgment in Virupakshappa Gouda v. State of Karnataka (2017), noting that filing of a chargesheet does not dilute the prosecution’s case but indicates that the investigating agency found sufficient material to proceed with trial.
The case was first registered on November 4, 2021, on Prof Goyal’s own statement after his wife was found tied up and unconscious at their residence on PU campus. She was declared brought dead at Government Multi Speciality Hospital, Sector 16. Goyal had initially alleged that an unidentified intruder had entered the house and killed her. He was later arrested on December 8, 2025 nearly four years after the incident. Police officially filed a chargesheet on March 2 this year. Subsequently, the court formally framed charges against him on May 11.
During the investigation, the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) reportedly found that the iron mesh door had been cut from inside the house towards the outside, contrary to the theory of a forced entry. The prosecution further relied on a Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature (BEOS) profiling report and other evidence before arresting Goyal on December 8, 2025.
{{/usCountry}}During the investigation, the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) reportedly found that the iron mesh door had been cut from inside the house towards the outside, contrary to the theory of a forced entry. The prosecution further relied on a Brain Electrical Oscillation Signature (BEOS) profiling report and other evidence before arresting Goyal on December 8, 2025.
{{/usCountry}}The court declined to examine the admissibility or evidentiary value of the brain mapping report at the bail stage, observing that such questions are matters to be decided during trial. Considering the absence of any material change in circumstances, the seriousness of the allegation under Section 302(murder) of the Indian Penal Code, and the stage of the proceedings, the court held that no ground was made out for grant of regular bail.