E-Paper
Month after arrest, sacked senior constable gets bail in drug case
Additional district sessions judge Mahesh Grover ordered her release from judicial custody, stating that “the alleged recovery falls within the scope of non-commercial category”.
Nearly a month after senior police constable Amandeep Kaur -- now dismissed -- was caught with 17.7 gm heroin, she was let off on bail by the district and sessions court, Bathinda, on Thursday.
Additional district sessions judge Mahesh Grover ordered her release from judicial custody, stating that “the alleged recovery falls within the scope of non-commercial category”. The court also ordered her to furnish a bail bond of ₹50,000 with a surety of the same amount.
She was arrested with 17.7 gm heroin from Badal Road in Bathinda city on April 2 while driving in a black SUV.
The court observed that Amandeep has been subjected to custodial interrogation for multiple days, and no other offence has been added to the list of offences against her.
“The presentation and disposal of a challan is going to take considerable time, and no fruitful purpose is to be served by keeping the accused in custody further. She has already been subjected to custodial interrogation for multiple days. No other FIR under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act is stated to be there against the bail applicant,” the court order said.
The public prosecutor had sought rejection of the bail plea, citing that being a police official herself, Amandeep had tarnished the image of the police in the eyes of the public. The court, however, held, “The court cannot be swayed by the media trial and the argument that the applicant has tarnished the image of the police. Indefinite pre-trial custody does not subserve the ends of justice.”
A resident of Chak Fateh Singh Wala in Bathinda, Amandeep, is facing vigilance investigation for her alleged lavish lifestyle.
Her arrest in the drug case led to speculation about the involvement of higher officials of the police department. Sleuths from the Narcotics Control Bureau and Intelligence Bureau have also questioned Amandeep’s associate Balwinder Singh, a co-accused in the crime.
Officials privy to the probe by Bathinda police said that no concrete evidence has surfaced with regards to links with any senior police officer or politician and Amandeep claims to have been implicated in the case.
Gurmeet Kaur, a resident of Bathinda, had alleged in public last month that Amandeep had an extramarital affair with her estranged husband, Balwinder Singh and co-accused.
Officials said Gurmeet had tipped off the Bathinda police and the anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) about Amandeep’s alleged involvement in drug trade after which she was arrested with heroin.
