Plea to cancel Pataudi's bail dismissed

Chandigarh, Mar 29 (UNI) The Punjab and Haryana High Court today dismissed the plea to cancel the bail granted to the former Indian cricket skipper Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and his associates in connection with charges of killing of a black buck near Jhajjar in June last year.

While pronouncing the judgement reserved on February 15, 2006 in this regard on the conclusion of arguments, Justice Rajive Bhalla directed that the hearing in this case would now be conducted by Faridabad-based Environment Court. At present the same is being heard by the judicial magistrate, Jhajjar who had also granted bail to Pataudi, his associate businessman Shashi Singh and others.

The petition seeking directions to cancel the bail to Pataudi and others had been preferred by Rohtak-based social activist Naresh Kadian who is the Chairman of Haryana branch of the people For Animals(PFA).

It was contended by Kadian's counsel that according to the notification issued by the Haryana government in February 1997, matters arising out of protection to Wild Life Act, including grant of bail, were to be decided exclusively by the specially created Environment Court at Faridabad.

In his view, the lower court at Jhajjar had no jurisdiction either to grant bail to the accused or to hear the case. A reference from the district and sessions judge, Jhajjar had also been received by the High Court in this respect.

UNI XC PS ARB DB1947