New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday granted bail to Manjeet Karketta, who had been in jail since May 2018 in connection with a murder case. His lawyer informed the court that the woman he was accused of killing was later found alive, while the identity of the actual deceased remains unknown.
Justice Girish Kathpalia, in his order, expressed strong criticism of the police investigation, stating that the handling of the case was deeply troubling.
The judge also pointed out that not only the investigating officer but also the senior police officials responsible for overseeing the case had failed to act with due diligence.
Karketta’s lawyer argued that bail was justified, emphasizing that his client had been imprisoned for years without any clarity on who the victim actually was, Indian Express reported.
Karketta was charged with murder based on a 2018 FIR filed at the Mianwali police station. The case involved a woman whose dismembered body was discovered in a bag. Initially, the remains were believed to belong to a woman named Soni, also known as Chhoti. However, after Karketta’s arrest, it was revealed that Chhoti was still alive.
The prosecution claimed there was "last seen" evidence linking Karketta to the crime, but the court rejected this, pointing out that the person he was last seen with—Chhoti—had since been found alive.
Granting Karketta bail, the HC reasoned, “It is extremely saddening that a human being lost life in such a gruesome manner and the body was cut into pieces way back in the year 2018, but to date, even the identity of the deceased has not been established. But merely for that reason, in such circumstances, the accused/applicant cannot be deprived of liberty any further,” as reported by the Indian Express.