Sippy murder case: High Court fixes August 1 for Kalyani Singh’s bail plea

Chandigarh, July 27

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today fixed August 1 for hearing Kalyani Singh’s regular bail plea in the Sippy Sidhu murder case. She had moved the High Court seeking the relief on more than 30 counts.

Taking up the matter, Justice Anoop Chitkara directed the petitioner, complainant and the CBI — through appropriate persons — to file “respective affidavits of objection/no objection regarding hearing of the matter by this Court”.

Among other things, Kalyani has contended that the CBI special Judge, who rejected her bail plea, failed to appreciate that the investigating agency had not been able to bring up, or point out at, any new evidence that would indict the petitioner “beyond whatever evidence that was available with them at the time of filing report under Section 173 CrPC on December 7, 2020”. It was evident from the remand application, and also the reply to the bail application, filed by the CBI before the Special judge.

In her petition filed through counsel Sartej Singh Narula and Arshdeep Singh Cheema, Kalyani Singh added the court had conveniently ignored the fact that the petitioner had all these years never tried to influence the witnesses or tamper with the evidence. It was evident from the fact that “there has never been any complaint from any quarter, even from the family of the deceased”

It was added that the CBI had itself admitted on December 7, 2020, that the “investigation conducted till date revealed no direct evidence against Kalyani Singh”. It was also added that the prosecution was required to establish its case beyond the shadow of doubt in a criminal matter. “Sufficient evidence has not come on record yet for launching prosecution against Kalyani Singh,” it was further added.

The petition said the “most material” aspect of the case was that the CBI had absolutely no evidence to establish that “there was any communication between the petitioner and the deceased for meeting in Sector 27, Chandigarh, on September 20, 2015”.