Cheema, Rai, Karanjawala get anticipatory bail for Pintos

The Punjab & Haryana High Court yesterday granted anticipatory bail to Pinto family in the case related to the murder of a seven-year-old student of Ryan International School in Haryana..Justice Surinder Gupta allowed the petitions filed by Pinto family, more than a month after they were granted interim bail..Senior Advocates RS Cheema and RS Rai appeared for the Pinto family. The seniors were briefed by a team from Karanjawala & Co headed by Partner Sandeep Kapur, along with Principal Associates Rajat Soni and Veer Sandhu and Associates Apoorva Pandey and Ashneet Singh..The petitioners argued that they are never directly involved in administration of each school and they only take policy decisions. Further, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had not found any evidence regarding the involvement of the petitioners, and was yet to call the petitioners to join the investigation..CBI retained counsel Sumeet Goel, however, argued that the crime being very heinous and gruesome, the petitioners, who are trustees/office bearers of the school, cannot be allowed anticipatory bail..While delivering his verdict, Justice Gupta took note of the fact that on the last date of hearing, ie October 7, the petitioners were directed to join the investigation on receipt of notice by the CBI. However, no notice calling upon the petitioners to join investigation has been issued till date..The Court further held,.“It is not disputed that in the investigation conducted so far, there is not even a pointer of involvement of petitioners in the crime in this case. Some lapse or negligence on the part of school management or even of the trustees or other office bearer of the school if found at any point of time, may not be a pointer towards their complicity in commission of murder of a school student, until and unless there is some substantial evidence of their involvement in this crime.”.Given the fact that there was no new evidence implicating the petitioners in the crime, the Court decided to grant anticipatory bail, on the following conditions:.“(i) that the petitioners shall make themselves available for interrogation by the investigating agency as and when required;.(ii) that the petitioners shall not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the accusation against them so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or to investigating agency;.(iii) that the petitioners shall not leave India without the prior permission of the Court..(iv) that the petitioners will seek regular bail on the presentation of challan in Court.”.Read the order: