Abhay Chudasama’s bail plea rejected

Abhay Chudasama, the suspended IPS officer arrested in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, suffered a major blow when the special CBI court refused to grant him three months temporary bail to undergo a hip replacement surgery at Sterling Hospital.

GK Upadhaya, the special CBI judge, observed that, "there is no need to release Chudasama on bail as the Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad has ample facilities to handle such operations." It also said," there is a possibility that Chudasama may hamper the investigation of the case which is going on by the CBI if he free on bail." It is pertinent to note that Chudasama is also facing charges of influencing witnesses and tampering with evidence.

The court issued orders on Wednesday afternoon after noting objections from the CBI and the Sabarmati jail and Nadiad jail. The central agency raised apprehension of tampering with evidence by stating that they have proof to show that Chudasama had tried to influence witnesses in the case and if he freed on bail, he might hamper investigation in the case, which is at a crucial stage.

Superintendents of both the jails insisted that the provisions of the Bombay Jail Manual should be followed in the case and Chudasama, who is an undertrial inmate, shall be referred in government Civil Hospital which is fully equipped to carry out hip replacement surgery. According to the application, Chudasma suffered severe injury in his right leg when he met with a road accident in 1994. He has already undergone hip replacement surgery twice.

Due to an aggravated condition he was advised by doctors to undergo a third surgery. Chudasama's lawyer, Rohit Sharma, argued in the court that his client should be granted bail to undergo the operation at Sterling Hospital.