Rajasthan HC denies bail to ADGP AK Jain

Rajasthan High Court today denied anticipatory bail to suspended ADGP A K Jain in the infamous Dara Singh alias Daria "fake" encounter case. The accused officer sought anticipatory bail on medical grounds. However, the single bench of Justice RS Rathore rejected the plea and held that since he and other accused were holding influential police posts, they were in a position to influence witnesses. "Besides this, the Supreme Court observation in a case is also in favour of early arrest of accused in cases of such encounters", the judge pointed out. The District and Session Court had already turned down Jain's request for anticipatory bail.
The CBI Special Court which has been holding trial in the case, has also declared Jain and another accused RPS officer Arshad Ali as proclaimed offenders(POs) last month, following failure of the CBI to produce them before the court in compliance to arrest warrants issued in May earlier this year. The trial court had also issued standing arrest warrants against them. The two officers have been untraceable since the issuance of the arrest warrant. Another IPS of IG Rank A Ponnuchami had already been arrested by the CBI and presently is under judicial custody. Dara Singh alias Daria, a dreaded criminal of Churu who was allegedly working as chieftain of a liquor contractor's raiding party-, was killed in a "fake encounter' on the outskirts of Jaipur in October 2006. His family lodged complaint in the court against the police demanding a CBI probe into the case, ultimately the Supreme Court accepted their request and ordered for the CBI probe in the case. The CBI on June 3 had filed charge sheet before the Court against 16 accused including Jain, Ponnuchammi and Ali and also included former BJP Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore as suspect against whom investigations were still on. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court while hearing a petition recently also regretted failure in arrest of accused in such serious cases and directed the concerned agency/Government to arrest and produce before the court all accused wanted in such serious cases.