Punjab HC rejects bail plea of accused in attack on Haryana minister’s house

The accused, Lakshya, had told the High Court that only some coins belonging to the family had been recovered from him and that evidence cannot be taken as that he was also part of the mob (File)

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has rejected the bail plea of an accused in the case of an attack on the house of Haryana Cabinet Minister Captain Abhimanyu during the Jat agitation last year. A mob had set the minister’s house on fire in Sector 14 of Rohtak and many vehicles were also burnt during the attack. The matter is being probed by the CBI.

The accused, Lakshya, had told the High Court that only some coins belonging to the family had been recovered from him and that evidence cannot be taken as that he was also part of the mob. “Haryana has passed through a very difficult phase during ‘Jat Agitation’ when many properties were put on fire. Keeping in view the evidence on record against the petitioner and stage of investigation, I am of the considered opinion that grant of regular bail to the petitioner at this stage will allow him opportunity to prevail upon the prosecution witnesses and to tamper with the evidence,” Justice Surinder Gupta said in the order passed earlier this week.

CBI counsel Sumeet Goel had told the bench that the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy along with others to attack the house of Captain Abhimanyu and there is a direct evidence against him in the case which is at a crucial stage of investigation.