Delhi High Court Grants Bail to Police Officer in Abduction Case Amid CBI's Objections

The Delhi High Court has granted bail to Head Constable Ravinder Dhaka, accused of abduction and extortion, despite vehement opposition by CBI pointing towards the destruction of evidence and existing charges. The court concluded that ongoing trials and prior charges should not automatically deny bail, satisfying the 'triple test' criteria.

The Delhi High Court, in a significant verdict on Tuesday, granted bail to Head Constable Ravinder Dhaka, who stands accused of abducting a complainant and extorting Rs 3 lakhs at gunpoint. This incident allegedly took place during a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sting operation aiming to catch the perpetrators red-handed.

Despite the Central Bureau of Investigation's strong opposition to his bail plea, emphasizing the officers' actions in intimidating the complainant and destroying evidence, the court released Dhaka. Notably, Dhaka, represented by Senior Advocate Pramod Kumar Dubey and Advocate Aditya Singh Deshwal, is already under trial for another bribery-related case.

Justice Ravinder Dudeja, presiding over the case, noted the conclusion of the investigation and the filing of the charge sheet. With no indication of delays in witness examination attributable to Dhaka, the court found no grounds for evidence tampering and observed that his termination reduced the risk of witness influence.

The court underscored that the 'triple test' for granting bail leaned in Dhaka's favor, despite his involvement in another CBI case. Acknowledging the gravity of charges and Dhaka's prolonged custody of over nine months, the court cited the right to a speedy trial as utmost fundamental, ruling that neither pending cases nor separate FIRs sufficed to deny bail.

(With inputs from agencies.)