Chandigarh, June 14
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today refused to grant interim bail to former Indian cricket captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi in a case relating to alleged poaching of a black buck and some other animals.
Taking up the applications filed by Mr Pataudi and his accomplice, Mr Shashi Singh, Mr Justice Rajive Bhalla issued notice of motion to the state of Haryana and others for June 17.
The Bench also summoned the entire record pertaining to the case and also asked Haryana to inform the court about the progress of the case, or the lack of it, preferably through an affidavit.
During hearing, the Judge also took the Haryana Government to task for apparent lapses.
In his plea for grant of anticipatory bail, Mr Pataudi has claimed that he was innocent and was being framed in the case. He has also stated that he is suffering from many ailments.
This morning, just as the hearing began, counsel for animal rights activist Naresh Kumar Kadyan prayed that he be impleaded as party to the case. However, the court asked him to file the application and get it listed for hearing. The matter was then adjourned for some time.
When the hearing re-started, Mr Pataudi’s counsel pleaded that the FIR was illegal as the police is not empowered to register a case on its own and start investigations.
On the court’s question as to why Mr Pataudi and others were not associating with the investigations, the counsel said his clients were ready to assist the investigation agency.
Strongly opposing the pre-arrest bail pleas, the counsel for Mr Kadyan alleged that the investigation was not being conducted properly.
A similar stand was taken by counsel for All-India Bishnoi Mahasabha, which regards the black buck as sacred. Hearing will resume on June
17.
