MAPUSA
A Mapusa court has rejected the bail application of Suleman Siddique Khan, the fugitive accused in a major land grabbing case who recently escaped from the Crime Branch lockup.
The court ruled that the accused cannot be granted bail as he is no longer in police custody.
In a short order, Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Girija Gaonkar stated, “Since the accused is absconding from police custody, he is not entitled to bail.”
The prosecution strongly opposed the bail plea, arguing that Khan's escape and absconding status made him ineligible for bail.
Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) Prilam Phadte pointed out that bail applications can only be considered when an accused is in custody.
“Here, the accused has escaped from custody, thereby violating conditions, and since he is not in custody, he cannot apply for bail,” Phadte said.
Interestingly, Suleman Khan had applied for bail two days prior to his dramatic escape from the Crime Branch lockup.
In his bail plea, the accused claimed he was falsely implicated in the land grabbing case and assured the court that he would comply with all conditions if granted bail.
As reported earlier, Khan had given an assurance to the JMFC in his application that he “would not abscond” if released on bail.
However, his subsequent escape has undermined his claims and led to his bail application being outrightly rejected.
The case has raised serious questions about law enforcement lapses and the security of police lockups, with the fugitive's escape sparking widespread criticism.
The Goa Police continues its search for Khan, while the incident remains a point of controversy in Goa’s policing system.
