Chandigarh road rage case: Col Bains’ plea for B-class jail facility denied

The court also observed that a person is entitled to such facility in murder case, yet whether that offence had been committed by the accused or not, was not yet proved and hence he wasn’t entitled to the same.

A local court on Monday dismissed the application that had sought B-class jail facility to Colonel Manvir Singh Bains booked for murder. The court of judicial magistrate first class (JMIC) Jagmeet Singh dismissed the application stating the accused in the case was not entitled to the same as per the rules. 

The colonel’s defence counsel had applied for B-class facility last week on the basis that he was posted as colonel in the Indian Army.(HT File)

WHAT ARE B­-CLASS FACILITIES?

Those availing of such facilities generally cook food separately, or eat home-cooked food; get more newspapers and magazines; get more visitors; wear own clothes rather than such worn by ordinary prisoners; exemption from hard jobs (mushakkat); and beddings.

According to the police’s reply to the defence’s plea, as per the latest amendment and Section 509, 510 of the Punjab Jail Manual, no such provision is there. The court also observed that a person is entitled to such facility in murder case, yet whether that offence had been committed by the accused or not, was not yet proved and hence he wasn’t entitled to the same. 

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The colonel’s defence counsel had applied for B-class facility last week on the basis that he was posted as colonel in the Indian Army. After the police filed the reply on Friday, the defence counsel rebutted the same and filed another application stating the law had been misquoted in their reply.

They referred to a case titled Raj Kumar Vs. State of Punjab at the Punjab and Haryana high court where B-class facility was granted to jail inmates during the investigation. 

The accused is currently in judicial custody. The accused, resident of Phase 7, Mohali, was arrested on September 2 and booked for murder after the family of deceased Praveen Yadav of Sector 37 alleged that he had been “beaten to death”. According to police, the colonel thrashed Yadav following a minor mishap of road rage on the Sector 34 and 35 dividing road in Chandigarh.