Calcutta High Court grants interim bail to man in custody for over 11 years

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The Calcutta High Court has granted interim bail to a man, who has been in custody for more than 11 years on the charge of killing his two minor stepdaughters, for the delay in the completion of the trial, PTI reported.

According to PTI, the bodies of the two girls, aged 9 and 15, were found 5km aparts, near Dhakuria and Park Circus railway stations in January 2012, on two consecutive days.

A case was registered at Lake police station and the Kolkata police arrested Ishtiaq Ahamad in 2013 on the charge of murdering the two minor girls. He has been in custody since then.

He was the stepfather to his wife's two daughters from her previous marriage. The two girls were left with Ahmad by their wife, who was employed in a different state.

The case moving to high court. Due to the delay in the case's trial, Ahmad's counsel appealed for his bail, claiming that he had been in custody for over 11 years.

On May 7, the attorney for the state government informed the court that the remaining prosecution witnesses would be questioned in a month.

A division bench led by Justice Arijit Banerjee stated on September 24 that it was uncertain when the trial would end, pointing out that the petitioner has been detained for more than 11 years and 7 months and that two prosecution witnesses were still waiting to be questioned.

"Purely on the ground of inordinate and unexplained delay in the progress of the trial, we enlarge the petitioner on interim bail," the bench, also comprising Justice Apurba Sinha Ray, ordered, as cited by PTI.

According to PTI, the accused Ahamad was ordered by the court to be released on interim bail after posting a bond of Rs. 10,000 and requiring two sureties, one of whom had to be a local.

In addition, the court mandated that he report to the police station's office-in-charge twice a week and remain within the jurisdiction of the Lake police station in Kolkata till further directions are given.

It further instructed him to neither intimidate witnesses or tamper in any way with evidence, and to be present before the trial court on all hearing dates until further orders.

The bench stated that the matter will come up for hearing again on November 20 and directed that the interim bail be maintained until the end of November 2024 or until further order, whichever is earlier, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)