Shillong: In the murder case of Raja Raghuvanshi, another accused, Raj Kushwaha, moved the court for bail on Wednesday, citing similar grounds of procedural lapses during their arrests. This follows the conditional bail granted to the prime accused, Sonam Raghuvanshi, on April 27.
Along with Raj, three others — Akash Rajput, Anand Kurmi, and Vishal Singh Chauhan — are lodged in Shillong jail following their arrest in the case. The other three are expected to apply for bail soon.
Bail Application on Grounds of Parity
Defence lawyer Phuyosa Yobin stated, "We have moved a bail. Sonam was granted bail yesterday. So we took the same plea – the arrest was not proper and it was not as mandated for the arrest procedure." He added that similar relief was also being sought for the other accused persons on grounds of parity.
Yobin confirmed that a bail application for the second accused, Raj Singh Kushwaha alias Raj, has already been submitted. "The court has reserved the order and we are expecting it any moment. We have been approached by the parents of the accused persons and me and my team is taking up the matter," he said, referring to the two other accused persons who are in jail. Bail applications on their behalf will be filed shortly, he added.
Defence Strategy and Police Case
Yobin remarked, "The police have done their job and their best. But as defence lawyers, we will have to find the loopholes of the police investigations. Police claim that it is a water-tight charge-sheet and I believe so."
The court of additional DC (Judicial), East Khasi Hills, Shillong, Dashalene R. Kharbteng, on April 27 granted bail to Sonam on grounds of procedural lapses, stating that the police had failed to effectively communicate to her the grounds of arrest.
The developments come amid ongoing legal proceedings in the high-profile murder case that has garnered significant attention in the region.
