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HC grants bail to Santosh Singh in Mattoo case
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Santosh Kumar Singh who allegedly raped and murdered Priyadarshini Mattoo, a 24-year-old Delhi University law student, after it had issued a bailable warrant and a notice following an appeal by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Santosh Kumar Singh who allegedly raped and murdered Priyadarshini Mattoo, a 24-year-old Delhi University law student, after it had issued a bailable warrant and a notice following an appeal by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Justices Usha Mehra and K Ramamoorthy granted the bail till
pendency of the CBI appeal on a bond of Rs 10,000 and a surety of the same amount.
They said that Santosh must immediately surrender his passport and take the court's permission before going abroad. On April 26, the court had admitted the CBI appeal seeking to set aside the December 3, 1999 order of additional session judge G P Thareja which acquitted Santosh after giving him the benefit of doubt. The CBI said that acquittal should be reversed and the accused should be arrested and convicted.
Additional Solicitor General Altaf Ahmed told the judges that the trial court erred in science, law and facts. All circumstances are in favour of the accused conviction, he said.
The investigating agency also called for expunging strictures against it and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad which conducted Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests during investigation. The CBI challenged the lower court's findings that the seal of clothes sent to the CCMB was broken by the investigation agency.
Priyadarshini was raped and strangled on January 23, 1996 at her South Delhi flat. Santosh, son of a serving Inspector General of Police (IGP), had been stalking her for almost a year.
They said that Santosh must immediately surrender his passport and take the court's permission before going abroad. On April 26, the court had admitted the CBI appeal seeking to set aside the December 3, 1999 order of additional session judge G P Thareja which acquitted Santosh after giving him the benefit of doubt. The CBI said that acquittal should be reversed and the accused should be arrested and convicted.
Additional Solicitor General Altaf Ahmed told the judges that the trial court erred in science, law and facts. All circumstances are in favour of the accused conviction, he said.
The investigating agency also called for expunging strictures against it and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad which conducted Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests during investigation. The CBI challenged the lower court's findings that the seal of clothes sent to the CCMB was broken by the investigation agency.
Priyadarshini was raped and strangled on January 23, 1996 at her South Delhi flat. Santosh, son of a serving Inspector General of Police (IGP), had been stalking her for almost a year.
Bureau Report