Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 30: High Court today rejected the bail application of Dr Karnail Singh, then posted in Border Security Force, IG Headquarter, Paloura as Chief Medical Office in the much publicized SI Paper Leakage Scam.
After hearing Senior Advocate Rahul Pant with Advocate Anirudh Sharma for the applicant whereas Senior AAG Monika Kohli with DySP Parshant Sharma of CBI, Justice Mohan Lal observed, “there is every danger of the course of justice being thwarted, if the petitioner is enlarged on bail”, adding “offence indicted against the petitioner is heinous and grave in nature and such type of offences are to be dealt with severity and with iron hands”.
“Showing leniency in such matters would be really a case of misplaced sympathy. In the instant case, the petitioner has also claimed the bail on the ground that his wife is suffering from Bone Marrow Cancer/ Myelodysplastic Syndrome since April 2022 and she needs regular blood transfusion. Respondents have opposed this argument on the strength that there are several members in the family of the petitioner to take care of his wife”, High Court said.
“Even in the bail application, petitioner has specifically averred that he has two sons, out of which one son namely Shubham Kala is being called by the respondents for investigation as being a co-accused, while other son of the petitioner is doing private business. It is apt to reiterate here, that the other son of the petitioner, who is a private employee can also look after and take care of his mother for her treatment”, High Court said.
As per the investigation conducted so far, the I/O has recovered and amount of Rs 69 lakh cash during multiple rounds of searches. Respondents/CBI in their response have submitted that it conducted searches at about 77 locations in multiple States and UTs including Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir and examined large number of witnesses and during the probe has arrested as many as 20 people including the petitioner.
“It appears that the investigation is still in progress and incomplete. The investigating agency must be provided sufficient time to unearth the paper leak scam and bring the offenders to book”, the High Court said, adding “at this stage when the investigation is yet to be completed, it is the fittest case, where bail ought not be granted and the petitioner too has failed carve out a strong case for bail in his favour. The bail application being misconceived under law is disallowed rejected and dismissed”.