Geetanjali death case: Risky to give bail to husband, says HC

Punjab and Haryana high court says there is a prima facie evidence of abetment against Ravneet Garg and his parents; asks CBI to frame charges within a month

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday dismissed bail plea of suspended Haryana judge Ravneet Garg, observing that it was “risky” to release him.

“Tampering of evidence can be done in a number of ways, including tendering apology, touching feet of the witnesses and so on and so forth. This is usually done in such type of cases since the witnesses are mostly relatives and close friends,” HC bench of justice AB Chaudhari said, dismissing bail plea of Garg in the mysterious death case of his wife, Geetanjali.

The high court directed special CBI court, Panchkula, to frame charges against the accused persons within a month and conclude recording of evidence within a period of six months. Garg, had approached the high court on February 17 and is behind bars in connection with the death of his wife Geetanjali in 2013 at Gurgaon.

He was posted as a chief judicial magistrate there at the time of her death.

The HC in its order observed that bullet injuries are on vital parts of her body and it appears that after firing one shot on the chest, another shot on the neck or head could not at all be possibly fired by herself. She has met a very cruel death, particularly when six shots were fired on her, the HC bench said, adding that Garg could not explain as to how his licensed revolver was utilised in firing when it was in his safe custody.

The court further stated that the death of Geetanjali didn’t occur in “normal circumstances” and it is disturbing that the woman had to die with “severest cruelty”. Neither Garg nor his judge father could show that they had lodged an FIR.

The high court also observed that there is a prima facie evidence of abetment against Garg, his father and Garg’s mother.

The CBI has filed a chargesheet for dowry death, cruelty to woman and criminal conspiracy against Garg.

The judge was also booked under the Arms Act. According to CBI, Garg took ₹51 lakh in cash, 101 gold coins, household items and a Skoda Laura car worth ₹16 lakh as dowry when the two were married in 2007. In 2008, the judge also took a Skoda Superb car worth ₹21.6 lakh when his younger brother got married.

The chargesheet says that Garg also used to demand money from his in-laws through his wife to meet his day-to-day expenses and Geetanjali was also harassed for seeking money from her parents to pay for the admission of their two daughters.

Tampering of evidence can be done in a number of ways, including tendering apology, touching feet of the witnesses and so on and so forth. This is usually done in such type of cases since the witnesses are mostly relatives and close friends. HIGH COURT