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Sippy Sidhu murder: CBI opposes bail to Kalyani, says may influence witnesses
Kalyani Singh had approached the Punjab and Haryana high court for bail on July 27 after her plea was dismissed by a trial court
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has opposed the bail plea of Kalyani Singh, an accused in the September 2015 murder of national-level shooter and lawyer Sukhmanpreet Singh, alias Sippy Sidhu.
Kalyani Singh, daughter of Himachal Pradesh high court judge, justice Sabina, had approached the Punjab and Haryana high court for bail on July 27 after her plea was dismissed by a trial court.
She was arrested on June 15 after she was found “evasive and deceptive” in her responses by CBI during the probe.
“..given the high profile status of the petitioner, there is strong apprehension that in case accused is admitted to bail, she will definitely try to influence, threaten, desist or win over the material witnesses and also tamper with the evidence which is yet to be collected against her and may even abscond, thus frustrating the process of the law and administration of justice,” CBI’s deputy superintendent of police Ravinder Kush claimed in the response.
He further claimed that there was strong apprehension that if released on bail she will try to threaten the family of the deceased. “The allegations against the petitioner are of grave nature and as such the accused does not deserve any leniency,” CBI’s response asserted.
The investigating agency claimed that it had found strong evidence of Kalyani’s presence at the Sector-27 park where Sippy Sidhu, 34, an old friend of the accused, was shot dead on September 20, 2015. CBI referred to eyewitnesses account that she was first seen talking with Sippy and later killed him with the help of an accomplice.
In spite of clear evidence, she has been non-cooperative in police custody and has been denying the crucial facts. She refused to opt for narco-analysis examination. Her psychological assessment was carried out during custody in which it was reported that her responses appear to be “deceptive”. Her polygraph test was also deceptive, CBI claimed, adding that the federal agency had yet to ascertain who was the second person with her and involvement, if any, of another person.
It further added that the agency never gave her a clean chit. To the claims of Kalyani that she was at a birthday party on the fateful evening, CBI said there was sufficient time for her to reach the party after committing the crime.
Sippy’s family has been accusing Kalyani of being involved in the murder, as they turned down her marriage proposal. CBI had registered an FIR into the murder on April 13, 2016, on the request of the Chandigarh administration. Earlier, the case was being investigated by the Chandigarh Police.
