Court cancels bail of CID head constable Nita Chaudhury, police say she’s untraceable

The court was hearing the prosecution’s appeal against a magisterial court’s July 3 order granting her bail.

Soon after her bail was cancelled, Kutch East SP Sagar Bagmar said police teams were trying to track her down.

In its July 3 order, the magisterial court ordered Chaudhary’s release under CrPC Section 437 (1) (ii) which provides for bail if the accused is a minor, a woman, sick or infirm. The court had then observed that Chaudhary cannot be denied bail for merely sitting in a car that Jadeja had allegedly driven during the incident.

District government pleader Kalpesh Goswami told The Indian Express that bail had been given to Chaudhary on the grounds that she was a woman.

“We told the sessions court that Chaudhary is also a head constable whose duty it is to uphold the law, but instead she was found in the company of a bootlegger when the latter tried to mow down six policemen. As such, the trial court had erred in exercising its discretion,” he said.

According to an FIR registered at the Bhachau police station on Sunday evening, Chaudhary and Jadeja – a resident of Juni Moti Chirai village near Bhachau town – allegedly tried to run over six policemen with their car, which did not have a registration plate.

The two were eventually arrested and police seized 16 bottles of liquor and two tins of beer – cumulatively worth Rs 1,880 – from their car.

The two were booked under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 114 (abettor present when offence is committed) and also under provisions of the Gujarat Prohibition Act, 1949.

Chaudhary was suspended from service last week.