Three more policemen get bail in fake encounter of MBA student case

Three more police personnel, arrested in connection with alleged fake encounter of an MBA student from Ghaziabad last year, were today granted bail by the high court here.

With this all seven policemen, arrested by the CBI in the case regarding killing of 22-year-old Ranbir Singh on July 3 last year that had hogged national limelight, have got bail.

Justice PC Pant agreed with arguments of the defense that accused Santosh Jaiswal, Nitin Chauhan and Neeraj Yadav had no personal enmity with Singh and granted them bail, JD Jain, counsel of the policemen, said. The agency had chargesheeted 18 policemen and arrested seven of them in connection with the case.

Police had claimed that Singh and his companions, who were riding on a motorcycle, were asked to stop at Dalanwala area on the fateful day when President Pratibha Patil was visiting the state. Instead, the youths thrashed a policeman and fled towards Ladpur jungles after snatching his pistol, they said.

The policeman soon flashed a message over the wireless and the youths were intercepted at Ladpur jungles and in the encounter that followed, Ranbir was killed, they claimed.

However, chief minister Pokhariyal Nishank later recommended for a CBI probe after demands grew louder for investigation by the agency.