Panaji: A local court has held that the Covid-19 pandemic cannot be a ground for granting bail to a murder accused.
After an applicant stated that the case wasn’t proceeding due to the pandemic, the additional sessions court rejected the application, saying that Covid can’t be a ground “in such serious matters wherein the punishment is imprisonment for life or death”.
Public prosecutor A Talaulikar told the court that proper medical facilities are being provided in jail, and thus it can’t be a ground for bail.
The accused, who has been charged for murder, told the court that he has been in custody since August 8, 2018 — for two years and three months.
His advocate, K Raikar, added that 62 witnesses have been cited in the chargesheet, but because of Covid, the matter cannot proceed.
The accused also told the court that his mother was sick, but judge Kshama Joshi found that he didn’t produce any medical certificate on the record.
“The sickness of the mother is no ground for releasing the accused on bail, as there are two (other) brothers to look after the mother,” she said.
It was also brought on record that the bail applicant is also an accused in a theft case currently before the JMFC, and two other cases.
The court took cognisance of the fact that the accused was absconding after a complaint of theft was lodged by the deceased against him, and stated that there is every possibility of him jumping bail, and interfering and threatening witnesses.