Kupwara Court denies bail to DySP, seven cops accused in custodial torture case

Kupwara, Dec 09: The Principal District Judge (PDJ) Kupwara rejected the bail applications of eight Jammu & Kashmir Police personnel, including a Deputy Superintendent of Police, who are accused of subjecting a fellow policeman to severe custodial torture two years ago.

PDJ Manjeet Singh Manhas dismissed the joint bail plea filed by the officers, who were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly inflicting “brutal and inhuman torture” upon Constable Khurshid Ahmad Chowhan in February 2023.

Their arrest came after the Supreme Court, in a detailed order last month, directed the CBI to investigate the alleged custodial torture and awarded a compensation of ₹50 lakh to the victim’s family.

According to the prosecution, the case involves a sequence of events linked to unlawful detention and systematic torture at the Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) Kupwara from February 20 to 26, 2023. Chowhan, then posted at District Police Headquarters Baramulla, was reportedly held at the temporary interrogation facility overseen by senior officers, including the DySP.

While refusing bail, the court observed that the accused failed to demonstrate any grounds warranting relief at this stage. “The plea for default bail is unsustainable as the charge-sheet was produced within the statutory time. No new circumstance has emerged after the earlier bail rejection,” the court noted.

The court added that issues relating to sanction will be examined during the consideration of charges, not at this interim stage. Accordingly, the bail pleas were termed “meritless” and dismissed.

The applications were filed by DySP Aijaz Ahmad Naik and police personnel Riyaz Ahmad Mir, Tanveer Ahmad Malla, Altaf Hussain Bhat, Mohammad Younis Khan, Shakir Hussain Khoja, Shahnawaz Ahmad Deedad, and Jehangir Ahmad Beigh.

The charge-sheet in the case has already been committed to the trial court, where arguments on framing of charges are yet to commence. The court stated that until charges are considered, the accused will remain in judicial custody. (KNC)