The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday granted bail to Naveen G. Naik, the police constable attached to the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) who was accused of shooting a man at a forest check-post in Sringeri taluk in April this year.
Mr. Naik, a recipient of the President’s Medal in 2012–13, moved the High Court after a sessions court in Chikmagalur refused to grant him bail.
In his petition, the constable contended that a team of ANF personnel was checking vehicles at Thanikod forest gate on April 19 when some persons in a vehicle created trouble after the team tried to stop their vehicle. They later tried to escape from the area leaving behind their vehicle.
The petition said that Kabir, one of the persons in the vehicle, suffered injuries from bullets fired from Mr. Naik’s rifle as the ANF wanted to stop them from escaping on the premise that they were naxalites. It said that Kabir succumbed to his injuries.
The petition stated that later, it was found that the vehicle was transporting cows and the persons travelling by it were allegedly involved in illegal transport of cattle. A case was registered by the jurisdictional police. However, four days after the incident, one of the persons, who was in the vehicle and escaped, lodged a complaint with the police alleging that the ANF team abused them and opened fire without any provocation. The State government assigned the case to the CID, which subsequently arrested Mr. Naik.
Contending that the case was booked against him on false allegations, the constable stated that he opened fire in the air when they started fleeing. Pointing out that the allegations against the constable could be ascertained in the trial, vacation judge Justice Anand Byrareddy granted bail, while asking him to furnish a bond for Rs. 50,000.
