Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 13: High Court today granted bail to Station House Officer (SHO) of Loran Police Station Ved Prakash, who was caught red-handed while accepting Rs 10,000 bribe from the complainant.
After hearing Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi with Advocate Ravi Abrol for the applicant whereas Advocate Monika Kohli for the CBI, Justice Javed Iqbal Wani observed, “the petitioner is a Police Officer and it is not the case set up by the respondents that the petitioner is having such a background as a result of which he would influence the witnesses”, adding “indisputably, the main witness in the matter is the complainant a Police Officer, the other evidence in the matter collected by the respondents against the petitioner is such regarding which there is not even a remote chance of asserting influence by the petitioner”.
“There is also not an apprehension expressed by the respondents that there is likelihood of the petitioner fleeing from the process of law or else tempering with the evidence, more so, when the same is substantive in nature. The consequence of pre-trial detention of the petitioner having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case would be grave, in view of the most celebrated and settled principle of law that an accused is presumed to be innocent till proven guilty”, High Court said.
“It is manifestly clear that there would be no danger to the course of justice at the hands of the petitioner, so much so there is no likelihood that the petitioner if enlarged on bail would repeat the offence. The apprehension expressed by the respondents in their objections against the grant of bail to the petitioner are merely speculative based on surmises and conjectures”, the High Court said while granting bail.
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