Shimla rape case: Colonel P S Grewal gets bail

Colonel P S Grewal (File)

A Shimla court Friday granted bail to Colonel P S Grewal who was arrested by the police last month for allegedly rape a 21-year-old girl, an aspiring model. The girl is an “adopted” daughter of a Lieutenant Colonel, who is also posted along with the Colonel at the ARTRAC, Shimla. On Friday, minutes before the Sessions Court granted bail to the Colonel, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shimla, extended his remand for another 14 days on a plea by the police.

Col Grewal’s lawyers Ajay Kochhar, while seeking his bail, told the Sessions Court that there was no supporting medical evidence which prime facie corroborated the police story relating to her rape by his client. Kochhar also argued that the girl had changed her original statement recorded by the police on November 21, which was different from what she later gave under section 146 of the CrPC before the magistrate.

The 56-year-old Colonel was arrested on November 22 by the Shimla (Sadar) police following an FIR lodged by the girl, who said he raped her after calling her to his house to meet some people to facilitate her modelling career.

The police said their investigations were still underway and that they were awaiting report from the Forensic Science Laboratory on the medical evidence. “We had taken 14-day remand of the accused, but a higher court granted him bail,” said a police official. The girl’s father said, “I have no information about the bail. We will fight for the justice. After all, the accused has to face the court for his trial,” he said.