Bail hearing of Kachru accused adjourned till Monday

SHIMLA - The Himachal Pradesh High Court has adjourned till Monday the bail hearing of the four medical students accused of ragging first year student Aman Kachru last year leading to his death.

Justice D.D Sud gave both the parties an opportunity to discuss the case regarding the bail granted to the accused.

The four accused - Ajay Verma, Naveen Verma, Abhinav Verma and Mukul Sharma - had been granted bail by a Dharamsala fast-track court July 17, after 16 months of custody.

Aman Kachru, 19, died March 8, 2009, a few hours after being allegedly ragged by the four final-year students of the Rajendra Prasad Medical College in Tanda town in Kangra district.

Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports regarding the bail, Justice D.D. Sud had Thursday asked the government why the bail had not be cancelled.

The state had already moved the fast-track court for setting aside the bail to the students, who were charged with murder (section 302 of the Indian Penal Code).

The fast-track court judge Purinder Vaidya Friday had not taken any decision on cancelling their bail, saying the matter has already been taken up by the high court. But the court has listed the matter for hearing Aug 2.

The magisterial inquiry conducted by the state government into the death of Kachru has concluded that the student died due to ragging.

The inquiry report said many first-year students, including Kachru, were subjected to intense physical ragging in the early hours March 7, 2009.

“Kachru collapsed and died due to injuries which the post-mortem report has linked to the incident of ragging,” said the report, holding college principal Suresh Sankhyan, responsible for the lapses.

Sankhyan resigned from the post after the incident.