Sohrabuddin case: HC grants bail to 3 accused

The Bombay high court on Monday granted bail to three police officers jailed in connection with Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case of Gujarat.

The Bombay high court on Monday granted bail to three police officers jailed in connection with Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case of Gujarat.

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Justice AR Joshi granted bail to Abhaysingh Chudasama, Dinesh MN and Mukeshbhai Parmar primarily in view of the fact that the Apex Court has granted bail to two other accused in the case. Justice Joshi ordered them to be released on personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each with one or two sureties of the like amount.

Apart from asking them to mark attendance before the investigation officer on every Sunday, the judge has also directed them not to threaten or induce any of the prosecution witnesses and also surrender passports with the investigation officer, if any and if not already surrendered.

The court, however, rejected request of advocate Pooja Thorat, who represented one of the accused that the accused be released on furnishing cash surety and that four weeks be granted for furnishing regular sureties.

The Apex Court has granted bail to Rajkumar Pandian, a former police officer, whose bail plea was rejected by the Bombay high court. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation, Pandian had played a key role in picking up the Sohrabuddin and his wife from Hyderabad before they were killed in the alleged fake encounter.

Sheikh and his wife were allegedly abducted by Gujarat's Anti-Terrorist Squad from Hyderabad and killed in suspected fake encounters near Gandhinagar in November 2005.