Shopian case: J&K HC grants bail to four cops

Srinagar: In a major setback to the Omar Abdullah government, the J&K High Court on Friday granted bail to four top police officials accused of playing a role in the controversial Shopian double murder case.

According to reports, former Shopian SP Javed Iqbal Mattoo, Dy SP Rohit Baskota, SHO Shopian Shafiq Ahmed and SI Gazi Abdul Rehman -- were released on payment of a bond of Rs.50, 000 each.


All the four cops also face allegation of destroying evidence related to the case.

Last month, the J&K govt had decided to hand over the controversial rape and murder case involving two women to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The State Cabinet unanimously took the decision hours after opposition parties created an uproar in the State Assembly alleging tampering of DNA test reports in the case.

Friday’s granting of bail came almost a month after the same court rejected an earlier bail plea.

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

The four had also moved a petition in the Supreme Court against the ruling of J&K HC 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 KG 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&K HC hearing a PIL filed by J&K HC 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 case. The court also ordered to constitute SIT and DNA mapping of these officers.