Kolkata, Aug 22: A city court today dismissed British national Peter Bleach's application for rejection of charge against him for assaulting a fellow convict in presidency correctional home. The 11th metropolitan Judge S R Roy, in his order, said the prayer for rejection of charge by bleach, under section 239 of IPC alleging that the charges against him were concocted, was dismissed.

The judge said the charges of assault and confinement under Sections 323/343 of IPC did not require a formal chargesheet as the charges, if proved, held a punishment of one year or less. As such, Section 239 of IPC did not apply in the case as the section applies in a charge that holds a penalty of more than one year. The judge observed that he found no contradiction in the statements of the witnesses as alleged by bleach and fixed September 19 for recording 'plea' in the case that accused Bleach of assaulting Kamal Routh in the former's cell late last year. Bleach, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the sensational Purulia armsdrop case of December, 1995, is the only convict in the case serving his term as five Latvians, who had also been sentenced to life in the case, were granted remission by the president.

Bureau Report