Shimla, July 28
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today cancelled the bail granted to the four accused in the Aman Kachroo ragging murder case. While cancelling the bail, the court set aside order of the Dharamsala fast-track court by terming it against law and directed the police to take them in custody.

Justice DD Sud, in his 37-page order, observed: “Despite the fact that the entire prosecution evidence will be over in the first week of August, 2010, the trial court judge has proceeded in hot haste in pre-determining the matter. I have also held that the court did not consider the gravity of the situation which was writ large, more especially when the Supreme Court had to intervene by ordering a protective measure on the medical college campus and an inquiry against the principal. The fact that the accused has been in custody for a long time is itself no ground for grant of bail”.

Earlier, the court had taken a suo moto action on media reports regarding grant of bail and the subsequent application filed by the state for cancellation of bail granted by the fast-track court, Dharamsala, and issued notices to the accused.

The court also directed the fast-track court that if evidence of both sides was complete, the case should be disposed of at the earliest on day-to-day basis.

The court further directed the trial court that no undue and unnecessary adjournments should be granted to either side.

The fast-track court had granted bail to the four accused — Ajay Verma, Naveen Verma, Abhinav Verma and Mukul Sharma—-after 16 months of police custody on the grounds that statements of the witnesses had been recorded and material evidence taken into account.

This release order of the fast-track court led to much hue and cry and Dr Raj Kachroo, father of the victim, termed it as a big blow to the anti-ragging campaign in the country.

Following this orders, the state filed an application in the fast-track court, Dharamsala, for cancellation of bail to the accused and further hearing on this application was adjourned to August 2.

A first-year MBBS student at Tanda Medical College, 19-year-old Aman Kachroo was allegedly thrashed by his four seniors and he later succumbed to his injuries on March 8, 2009.

I’m very happy. The message is loud and clear. The state as well as the judiciary have emphatically conveyed that crime, in any guise, will not be tolerated. This is a good day for Aman Movement’s mission to eradicate ragging and for those of us who have faith in the system— Raj Kachroo, Aman’s father