HC seeks police reply on ex-MLA Shokeen's plea

The Delhi High Court today sought response from the police on the plea of former MLA Rambeer Shokeen, arrested for his alleged involvement in an organised crime syndicate, against the trial court's order dismissing his bail application.
Justice Vipin Sanghi issued notice to Special Cell of Delhi Police on Shokeen's petition which alleged that he has been kept in custody beyond the stipulated 90 days of filing the charge sheet.
"I will issue notice to Delhi Police. Let them file their written submission in two weeks. List the matter for April 20," the judge said.
Shokeen, who was an Independent MLA, was arrested on November 28 last year under MCOCA charges for his alleged involvement in an organised crime syndicate headed by his nephew and gangster Neeraj Bawana. A court here had recently rejected his bail application.

Meanwhile, the police has also moved an application challenging the trial court's order discharging five out of ten accused in the case involving Bawana, his elder brother Pankaj Sehrawat, Rahul Dabas and Naveen Dabas.
The five accused discharged by the trial court last year due to lack of evidence are Sunil Rathi, Amit Malik alias Bhura, Naveen Hooda, Deepak Dabas and Gurpreet Singh.

The high court today issued notice to these five accused and sought their response by April 20.
The Special Cell of Delhi Police had charge sheeted 10 persons, including Neeraj and Shokeen, for alleged offences punishable under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) provisions.

The police, which had named 163 persons as prosecution witnesses in the case, claimed that these accused were involved in several criminal cases.
In April 2015 police had recovered an AK-47 and an SLR rifle allegedly from his property in outer Delhi's Bawana area on the instance of his nephew Neeraj Bawana.
Police had said the weapons were looted from Uttarakhand Police on December 16, 2014 by Neeraj who played an active role in arranging the escape of another criminal, Amit Malik alias Bhura from police custody.