Delhi HC denies bail to accused in double murder case noting eyewitness yet to be examined

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has denied bail to a person accused in a double murder case noting that one of the eyewitnesses was yet to be examined.
Justice Anu Malhotra dismissed the bail plea of Akshey Dagar who had sought relief on the ground of delay in trial. The bench while dismissing the bail plea of the petitioner noted the contention of the additional public prosecutors and the accused's alleged involvement in other criminal cases. The bench noted in the order dated July 21 that one of the witnesses Sumitra Devi has been examined but another eyewitness Darshana Devi is yet to be examined. In view thereof, the court said it does not consider it appropriate to grant bail to the accused.
Delhi Police had filed a status report that there are two public witnesses Darshana Devi and Sumitra who had identified the accused in the CCTV footage and that these witnesses have also been granted protection by the trial court.
On the other hand advocate Rishabh Jain, counsel for the petitioner Dagar, submitted that the petitioner was in custody since 2018. There are 70 prosecution witnesses. Out of these witnesses, only three have been examined in court. The trial would take a decade to complete at this pace. Therefore the petitioner should be granted bail during the pendency of the trial.
The bench ordered that the State shall ensure the production of the witness Darshna Devi as the next witness in the case before the learned trial court. The trial court shall ensure that in terms of the direction of the Supreme Court passed on August 26, 2021, the trial of the instant case is completed expeditiously.
Delhi Police said that there was the involvement of the petitioner in three other criminal cases registered for different offences like murder and others. The counsel for the petitioner had submitted that he is on bail in all cases except the present one.
This case was registered in Dwarka Sector 23 on October 2018 for the alleged murder of two people in a property dispute. (ANI)