Bail denied to faith healer, woman in suicide case

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 22: Principal Sessions Judge Reasi Kamlesh Pandita has rejected the bail application of a woman Shamim Begum and faith healer Mushtaq Ahmed for instigating one Mohd Ashraf to commit suicide.
As per the police case, Mushtaq Ahmed claiming to be a ‘Peer’ came into contract with the deceased and persuaded him to learn faith healing for earning his livelihood. Accordingly, deceased left his house along with his family members to live with Mushtaq Ahmed and with the passage of time the accused developed illicit relation with the wife of the deceased.
When the deceased came to know about this, Mushtaq Ahmed started threatening him and forcing him to give divorce his wife. Due to the circumstances created by Mushtaq Ahmed and Shamim Begum, Mohd Ashraf committed suicide.
After hearing both the sides, Principal Sessions Judge observed, “court is very much conscious of the fact that personal liberty is sacrosanct in our Constitution but if the public interest and security of the community outweighs the individual interest, the same can be circumscribed by due process of law which in the present case has been followed”.
“Offence under Section 306 RPC is heinous in nature and when same is committed by a Peer(faith healer) against the faith and bond of mutual trust between husband and wife, that too at the of behest of lust , it has serious ramifications in the society and conscience of the public is shaken”, the court observed, adding “the interest of the general public and victim family has to be considered , possibility of the accused persons winning over the witness or their jumping over bail cannot be ruled out”.
With these observations, court rejected the bail application.