SC Denies Bail to IPS Officer in Sohrabuddin Case

Indian Police Service (IPS) officer MN Dinesh, a key accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, has been denied bail by the Supreme Court, reported PTI.

A bench of Justices P Sathsivam and HL Datuu – which treated his bail application as ‘dismissed as withdrawn’ – however grantee liberty to the IPS officer to move to Gujarat High Court with his plea, said report.

Defence counsel had pleaded earlier that Dinesh had been languishing in jail for the last three years for his alleged role in the killings in which several other officers, including DIG DG Banjara, had been indicted as accused, said report.

The counsel said that Dinesh should be granted bail ‘in view of the changed circumstances’, for investigation into the case has been handed over the CBI by the apex court, said report.

Judges, however, were not convinced with his contentions and instructed the IPS officer to move the Gujarat High Court for remedy, said report.

A sessions court had earlier granted the IPS officer bail, but on an appeal by the state, the Gujarat High Court cancelled his bail after which he moved a plea in the Supreme Court. The apex court too had earlier affirmed the High Court order.

But after the Supreme Court directed the CBI investigation, Dinesh claimed that the changed circumstances warranted bail.