Delhi HC grants bail to accused in 2019 abduction-murder case

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The Delhi High Court has granted a regular bail to an accused in a case of abduction and murder of a man for property in Greater Kailash in November 2019. The accused has been in custody since December 2019. Justice Anish Dayal granted bail to accused Hitesh Pratap Singh Chauhan considering his conduct in custody, his long incarceration and that the case is at the stage of evidence and all important witnesses have been examined.

"In light of the above, and that the trial in the matter is likely to take some time, and it would not be prudent to keep the petitioner behind bars for an indefinite period, this Court finds it to be a fit case for grant of bail to the petitioner," Justice Dayal said in the order dated October 14. The accused petitioner has filed the plea for regular bail in the matter.

The petitioner is directed to be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount subject to the satisfaction of the Trial Court, the HC said. The accused's father was also arrested in this case, which was registered in the police station Greater Kailash -1. A chargesheet in the case was filed under sections related to abduction, murder, destruction of evidence and criminal Conspiracy.

As per the prosecution, on November 16, 2019, one person Shashi Kiran Sharma came to the Police Station and reported that her brother Arun Kumar Sharma had left his residence to attend a court hearing in Gurugram on November 15, 2019. He was scheduled to meet his lawyer at M.G. Road Metro Station, but he was missing ever since. On the basis of the complaint, an FIR under Section 365 (kidnapping) of Indian Penal Code was registered.

During the investigation it was revealed that Arun Sharma and Rishi Raj Pal Singh Chauhan have known each other for a long time. The complainant had stated that in 2009 differences arose between them and both of them claimed ownership of the property and this dispute reached the Supreme Court of India. In September 2019 the Supreme Court passed an order in favour of the deceased Arun Sharma. On November 15, 2019 the execution proceeding regarding the said property was listed before Gurugram Court.

During further investigation, CCTV footage of some houses in the vicinity of the victim's house was collected. The images of two suspects and a white Mahindra Scorpio car was captured on CCTV footage. The registration number of the Mahindra Scorpio car was found to be fake as the number pertained to another car.

Further, co-accused Rishi Raj Pal Singh Chauhan and Hitesh Chauhan were called for interrogation and during that they admitted to their involvement in the gruesome crime. It is alleged that the Investigation revealed that they had engaged three persons namely, Amet Vikram Chhabra, Priyank Khanna (alias Prince) and Sahil Kumar Bunty to kidnap and eliminate Arun Sharma.

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