Sonali Phogat murder case: Prime accused Sudhir Sangwan granted bail
Panaji (PTI): A court in Goa has granted bail to Sudhir Sangwan, prime accused in last year's murder of Haryana-based Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sonali Phogat.
Phogat (43) died in Goa's beach village of Anjuna in August last year, after partying with her two associates, both of whom were accused of administering her banned drugs.
The district and sessions court on Friday granted bail to Sangwan and directed him to furnish a bail bond of Rs one lakh. The court also directed him not to leave the state and appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) every Friday, a lawyer representing him said.
Sangwan and his accomplice Sukhwinder Singh were arrested by the Goa police last year in connection with the case.
Phogat was holidaying in Goa when she died due to drug overdose during the intervening night of August 22 and 23. She had arrived in Goa with the two male aides Sangwan and Singh a day before the incident. Sangwan and Singh were accused of drugging her in a resort and later at a nightclub, where they were partying.
In November last year, the CBI filed a 1,000-page chargesheet in this case. The central probe agency, which took over the probe in September last year, filed the case against the accused duo under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 302 (murder) and other provisions at a special court in Mapusa.
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Bihar govt to constitute 100 fast-track courts to expedite disposal of criminal cases: Home min
Patna (PTI): Bihar Home Minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday announced that the state government will establish 100 fast-track courts (FTCs) to ensure the swift disposal of pending cases.
He said that the move also aims to ease the burden on regular courts for them to accord due attention to sensitive cases.
Choudhary said the decision in this regard has been made considering that over 18 lakh cases are pending before different courts in the state.
The constitution of FTCs will "bring in a big relief" to the judicial system and litigants, he said.
"To operationalise 100 FTCs across 38 districts and sub-divisions, the government will undertake large-scale recruitment," the home minister asserted in a statement.
He said that a total of 900 posts, including those of bench clerks, office clerks, stenographers, deposition writers, data entry operators, drivers, process servers and peons, will be filled.
Choudhary also announced that 79 courts will be designated as 'act courts' to fast-track cases related to the Arms Act. Swift resolution of such serious cases, he said, will strengthen law and order in the state.
The minister said that Patna alone will get eight fast-track courts, while four courts each will be set up in Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur. Three FTCs each are planned for Nalanda (Bihar Sharif), Rohtas (Sasaram), Saran (Chhapra), Begusarai, Vaishali (Hajipur), East Champaran (Motihari), Samastipur and Madhubani.
Similarly, two courts each will be established in West Champaran (Bettiah), Saharsa, Purnea, Munger, Nawada, Jehanabad, Arwal, Aurangabad, Kaimur (Bhabhua), Buxar, Bhojpur (Arrah), Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Siwan, Gopalganj, Supaul, Madhepura, Araria, Kishanganj, Katihar, Banka, Jamui, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai and Khagaria. One FTC each is also proposed for the sub-divisional courts of Naugachia and Bagaha.
