The Delhi High Court has rejected the bail plea of Narender Meena, accused of the custodial torture of gangster Ankit Gujjar inside Tihar Jail, noting that there is a likelihood of him influencing the witness or tampering with the evidence.
Mr. Meena, then Deputy Superintendent of Tihar Jail, along with other jail officials, allegedly beat Gujjar in prison on August 3, 2021 and did not provide him medical attention, leading to his death a day later. The accused were accused of harassing the 29-year-old gangster and trying to extort money from his relatives.
The court, in its September 26 judgment, noted that “Gujjar died while he was in judicial custody” and that a trial court here had in April last year rejected Mr. Meena’s bail plea, observing that he “tried to influence witnesses”.
The High Court had in September 2021 transferred the probe into the death of the under-trial prisoner to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
As per the CBI’s chargesheet, Mr. Meena demanded ₹5 lakh from Gujjar in June 2021 to allow him to use a cellphone. A deal was finalised between the two at ₹2.25 lakh, out of which ₹2 lakh were paid. However, Gujjar did not pay the balance, leading Mr. Meena to harass him and two other inmates lodged in the gangster’s cell. The accused subsequently beat Gurjar.
Mr. Meena had filed a plea for bail, saying his father has been suffering from various ailments like brain haemorrhage and arthritis and recently underwent knee replacement surgery. He further said there was no reason to keep him in custody as the CBI had already admitted that the investigation relating to him was complete.
Published - October 02, 2024 01:00 am IST
