2002 Gujarat riots: HC grants interim bail to ex-DGP RB Sreekumar

September 28, 2022 21:33

The Gujarat high court on Wednesday granted interim bail till November 15 to former state DGP RB Sreekumar, arrested along with activist Teesta Setalvad, for alleged fabrication of evidence in connection with the 2002 communal riots cases.

Justice Ilesh J Vora allowed Sreekumar, in custody since his arrest by the city crime branch on June 25, to be enlarged on the interim bail till November 15 on a personal bond of Rs 10,000.

Sreekumar's counsel submitted that he may be granted the relief in view of his age and considering that the charge sheet has been filed. He also told the high court that the applicant intends to file a fresh application before the trial court concerned.

The HC was also hearing the regular bail plea of Teesta Setalvad, another accused in the case of the alleged fabrication of evidence.

Hearing her bail plea, the HC directed the trial court to hand over the papers of the charge sheet filed by the Special Investigation Team on September 21 to Setalvad's lawyer and kept the matter for further hearing on November 15.

Setalvad was released on interim bail by the Supreme Court on September 2.

The single-judge bench directed Sreekumar to deposit his passport within a week of his release from jail. He was also given the liberty to file a fresh bail application before the concerned court.

Opposing the relief to Sreekumar, the public prosecutor said considering the role attributed to him in the alleged offence, no case is made out for granting interim bail.

A sessions court in Ahmedabad on July 30 rejected bail applications of Setalvad and Sreekumar, who were arrested on June 25.

The SIT on September 21 filed a charge sheet against Setalvad, Sreekumar and another accused in the case, former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt.

Bhatt continues to remain in jail at Palanpur in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat where he is serving a life sentence in a custodial death case.

A case was registered against Setalvad, Sreekumar, and Bhatt under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to forgery, besides sections 194 (fabricating false evidence to procure capital offence), 211 (to institute criminal proceeding while knowing there is no just ground for it), 218 (public servant framing incorrect record) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy).

The trio was accused of conspiracy "to abuse the process of law by fabricating false evidence to make several persons to having committed an offence that is punishable with capital punishment".

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