CU video leak case: HC grants bail to accused armyman

The HC bench of justice Amarjot Bhatti observed that the trial may take a long time and the armyman, who was accused in the Chandigarh University (CU) video leak case, cannot be put behind bars for an indefinite period of time

The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has granted bail to armyman Sanjeev Singh, an accused in the Chandigarh University (CU) video leak case.

A massive protest had erupted on the CU campus on September 17 after it was alleged that objectionable videos of several girls had been leaked by a girl student. (HT File)

The HC bench of justice Amarjot Bhatti observed that the trial may take a long time and the accused cannot be put behind bars for an indefinite period of time. He was arrested on September 24.

A massive protest had erupted on the CU campus on September 17 after it was alleged that objectionable videos of several girls had been leaked by a girl student. She was booked in the case but later, police said the girl hadn’t captured objectionable photos of any other student and had only shared her own photos with the armyman.

Charges against two others, hailing from Himachal Pradesh, were also dropped after police found they had no role in the case.

The armyman’s bail plea, meanwhile, had been dismissed by the trial court twice, following which he had moved the HC on November 9.

He had claimed in the court that he was implicated and even if the prosecution case is to be believed, he barely received an obscene video and there was nothing to show that he was circulating the video.

The court granted bail, observing that once the challan is presented, it is clear that the entire investigation is complete. Charges are yet to be framed and thereafter the prosecution evidence will be recorded, it said, adding that all of this may take a long time.

The armyman has been booked under Sections 354 A (sexual harassment), 354 C (voyeurism), 354 D (stalking), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (insulting modesty of woman), 511 (offences punishable with life imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 66C, 66D, 66 E, 67 A, 84 C of IT Act.