No bail for accused in Ram Rahim escape bid case: HC

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 12

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has refused to grant bail to Chamkaur Singh, who allegedly was part of a large conspiracy hatched by Dera Sacha Sauda men to free Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh after he was convicted in two rape cases more than a year back.

Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill asserted that having regard to facts and circumstances and especially bearing in mind the nature of offence and manner in which the accused had entered into the conspiracy to free a person convicted of heinous crime after the judgement was pronounced, there was no room for grant of discretionary relief of anticipatory bail.

Justice Gill added that bail could not be granted especially when the petitioner was stated to have been identified by other security officials present in the court complex and “unfortunately, majority of them belong to the disciplined force of police”.

The FIR was registered on August 26 last year on the basis of the statement of ASI Ramesh Kumar that he and other police officials were taking Ram Rahim after his conviction in a Scorpio towards the “district inspector naka”.

He stated that suddenly, one jammer car came from behind and overtook the Scorpio before blocking the way. He added that six persons alighted from the vehicle, three dressed in commando uniform, and attacked the Scorpio before trying to free Ram Rahim and take him out of the vehicle.

The complainant reported that he, with the help of other co-employees, thwarted their efforts, but they raised a war cry that they would not allow “Pitaji” to be taken away and attempted to run over the police officials with the jammer vehicle.

It was alleged that the complainant and his co-employees managed to save themselves even as the driver of the jammer vehicle, after reversing, again attempted to run over the police officials.

The state counsel submitted that the petitioner was part of a large conspiracy hatched by members of the dera to free Ram Rahim after he had been convicted.

The counsel added that the co-accused had, during interrogation, disclosed the conspiracy, which led to the arrest of another 13 accused of the 22 involved in the entire episode.