Gujarat Riots | High Court Extends Interim Bail Of Ex-DGP RB Sreekumar For 10 More Days Pending Disposal Of His Bail Plea

The Gujarat High Court has extended the period of interim bail granted to retired DGP RB Sreekumar for a further period of 10 days pending disposal of his regular bail plea by the Sessions Court. Earlier, he was granted bail until November 15. 

Ex-DGP Sreekumar was arrested in June this year in connection with an FIR by the Gujarat Police on the charges that he conspired to falsely implicate innocent persons in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots. He has been booked under Sections 468, 471, 194, 211, 218, and 120B of IPC.

Earlier in September this year, the Gujarat High Court had granted him interim bail until November 15 so as to enable him to move to the Sessions Court with a fresh bail application. On October 7, he moved to the Sessions Court and the argument of both parties concluded on November 11, 2022, and now the matter is kept for order by the City Sessions Court.

In light of these facts, Ex-DGP Sreekumar prayed before the Court on November 14 that his interim bail be extended further while his regular bail application is pending before the Sessions Court.

Consequently, keeping in view the fact that while being out on interim bail, he did not misuse the liberty granted by the High Court and complied with the bail conditions, the bench of Justice Ilesh J. Vora extended the period of interim bail for a further period of 10 days. 

Ex-DGP Sreekumar, a 1971 batch IPS officer, who is originally from Kerala and was the ADGP in charge of the armed unit in Gujarat during the Godhra incident, was arrested along with social activist Teesta Setalvad on a complaint filed by an Ahmedabad crime branch official alleging them of conspiring to falsely implicate innocent persons. 

The complaint filed by inspector D B Barad of the Ahmedabad crime branch states that Setalvad, Bhatt, and Sreekumar had conspired to abuse the process of law by fabricating false evidence to make several persons to be convicted in an offence that is punishable with capital punishment.

Case title - RAMAN PILLAI BHASKAREN NAIR SHREEKUMAR (R.B.SREEKUMAR) v. STATE OF GUJARAT

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