Cops accused in Badaun girls' killing case get bail

BADAUN: Two police constables who were among the five accused arrested in the alleged rape and murder of two cousins here were granted bail by a local court today.

The CBI, investigating the case, had given virtual clean chit to all five accused. These accused were earlier put through lie-detection tests and they cleared it.

Additional sessions judge Anil Kumar granted bail to Sarvesh Yadav and Chatrapal Gangwar on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh each besides sureties of the same amount, their counsel Brahma Singh said.

Documents relating to the bail would be produced in the court tomorrow and both would be released after their verification, Singh said.

The court said that the duo would have to give an affidavit that in case of any evidence against them in future they would present themselves in the court and would not try to contact any witness or investigative agency or influence them.

According to CBI sources, there was no evidence linking the accused to the murder and also that no sexual assault had taken place on the two victims before their death.

The CBI had taken help of the Hyderabad-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics which ruled out sexual assault on the two girls.

According to prosecution, filing of charge sheet within 90 days in such cases is mandatory.

As CBI has neither filed the charge sheet during this period nor sought additional time for investigation, the two constables were able to secure bail.

The bodies of the two cousins, aged 14 and 15, were found hanging from a tree in Katra-Saadatganj village here in the last week of May, an incident which sparked national outrage with the Samajwadi Party government in the state coming under fire on the issue of law and order.