Shopian court rejects bail plea of J- K police officers

Srinagar, Aug 6 (ANI): A court in Shopian on Thursday rejected the bail application of Jammu and Kashmir police officers, who were arrested in connection with the alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian.

The court rejected their plea under the Section 497 of CRPC (discretionary powers of the judge to grant bail or not).

Investigations in the case were still on, the sessions judge said.

Former Superintendent of Police of Shopian Javed Iqbal Mattoo, and Deputy Superintendent of Police Rohit Baskota, who were arrested along with Station House Officer Shopian Shafiq Ahmed and Sub-inspector Gazi Abdul Rehman, moved a petition in the Supreme Court against the ruling of J and K High Court, to arrest these officers and also to collect blood samples to prepare the DNA mapping of these officers.

An apex court bench headed by the Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan had asked the Shopian sessions court to expeditiously consider the bail pleas.

During the hearing, the bench had said the High Court should have left it to the superior police officers to investigate the case and should have entitled the police officers to move for bail before the appropriate court.

The bench had also expressed surprise that only because of agitation the investigation was handed over to the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The J and K High Court, hearing a Public Interest Litigation Petition (PIL) filed by J and K High Court Bar Association in connection with alleged rape and murder of Neelofar and Aasiya Jan in Shopian ordered for the arrest of four police officers who were suspended in the same the case. The court also ordered to constitute SIT and DNA mapping of these officers. (ANI)