Sultanpuri accident: Court junks suspect’s bail plea

The Delhi court, in its order on Friday, also directed that the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) concerned now oversee all applications and responses in the matter.

A Delhi court has dismissed a bail plea by Deepak Khanna, one of the seven suspects held in the Sultanpuri accident case — where a woman, who was stuck under a car, was dragged around for 13km in northwest Delhi on New Years’ Day — even as it pulled up the city police for its “evasive and vague reply” to the petition.

A Delhi Police van carrying the suspects. (ANI)

The court, in its order on Friday, also directed that the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) concerned now oversee all applications and responses in the matter.

The judge noted that, “it is pertinent to mention that the reply which has been received to this bail application today is quite evasive, vague and non-specific on all grounds. It appears from the reply that the IO [investigating officer] is not opposing the bail application. The investigating agency ought not to have such a non-sensitive approach.”

Observing that the agency’s approach appeared to be “non serious”, it said that all responses in the case sent to the court should be routed through the DCP’s office “to reflect his supervision and application of mind over the investigation.”

Additional sessions judge, Susheel Bala Dagar, dismissed the bail application citing the seriousness and gravity of the allegations that have been levelled against Deepak, who is alleged to have helped harbour the other suspects and attempted to mislead the investigation by presenting himself as the person who was driving the vehicle on January 1.

Anjali Kumari, a 20-year-old woman, was hit by a Maruti Baleno on January 1, when she was returning home on her scooter. Anjali’s leg got stuck in the underside of the car, and she was dragged around northwest Delhi for nearly 13km, police officers have said. Seven people have been arrested over the course of the investigation.

Police identified the four men in the car as Amit Khanna (25), Krishan (27), Mithun Kumar (26), and Manoj Mittal (27). Three others — Deepak (26), Ashutosh (32), the owner of the car, and Ankush Khanna (30), were held for helping the four destroy evidence and mislead investigators.

Ashutosh was granted bail on Tuesday.

During the hearing, Deepak’s counsel submitted he was falsely implicated in the matter by the police under the “undue pressure of media and senior police officers”. The counsel also submitted that Deepak was not present with other accused during the time of the offence. He claimed that Ankush took Deepak to Ashutosh’s residence on the pretext of a personal emergency, which was when he found out about the incident.

The additional public prosecutor (APP) opposed the application and said Deepak had not approached the metropolitan magistrate, but moved the sessions court directly for bail.

He also argued that the investigation is in its early stages and that Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been added to the FIR.

He further submitted that co-accused Ashutosh has stated that Deepak was driving the car trying to mislead the investigation.

The Court on January 9 sent all the suspects to judicial custody for 14 days. On January 12, the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) directed the Delhi Police to book the suspects for murder and ordered the suspension of 11 police personnel deployed in the police control room (PCR) vans for allegedly responding late to several distress calls made by witnesses to the accident.