Srinagar, August 20: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today issued notice to the state government to file its reply by August 27 on a plea filed by police officials arrested in connection with the rape and murder of two women in Shopian earlier this year.
Hearing the criminal revision petition filed on behalf of the police officials Superintendent of Police Javed Iqbal Mattoo and Deputy Superintendent of Police Rohit Baskotra — by senior Supreme Court Advocate Aseem Mehrotra, Justice Sunil Hali asked the state to file their reply by August 27.
Pressing for release of his clients, Mehrotra contended that his clients had been kept unnecessarily behind the bars despite extending all cooperation to the Special Investigating Team constituted on the direction of the High Court.
The bail plea of four police officials was rejected by a sessions court in Shopian which said it was “undoubtedly premature” to grant them bail as probe was not complete.
Besides Mattoo and Baskotra, former Shopian SHO Shafeeq Ahmad and Sub-Inspector Gazi Abdul Karim were suspended on June 22 for their alleged involvement in destroying evidence relating to the rape and murder of Asiya (17) and her sister-in-law Neelofar (22) on May 30.
During today’s brief arguments, Mehrotra said the status reports submitted by SIT had not thrown any light on the role of the policemen in the case.
Appealing for their release on bail, Mehrotra said in a written submission before the High Court that the Sessions Judge in Shopian had failed to appreciate that there was no material against the petitioners till date “and their continued custody is ex-facie wrong.”
Turning down the appeal of four policemen, Principal Sessions Judge Tawqeer Ahmad had said “…it would undoubtedly be premature for the court to grant the bail at this stage when the investigation has not been completed”.
Mehrotra also said Baskotra is a patient of Hepatitis and undergoing treatment at Delhi and Jammu for more than a year. The Petitioner requires constant medical supervision and treatment.
“So far as Baskotra is concerned there is no averment in the entire status report as to what steps he did not take in the investigation of the case,” the submission said.
The counsel said the SIT formed in June had not been able to question either the victim’s husband Shakeel Ahangar or brother Zirak Shah despite recommendations of the Jan Commission.
The Commission in its report had said there was clear indication suggesting enmity between Neelofar’s maiden family and her in-laws.
-Agencies