Mumbai: In response to 18-year-old IIT Bombay student Armaan Khatri’s bail application, police told a special court on Monday that if released on bail, he was likely to intimidate its witnesses. Khatri is currently in custody for allegedly abetting the suicide of his batchmate Darshan Solanki.
Police told the special court designated under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, that in their probe, they had been told by witnesses (students) that Solanki had been scared after Khatri had threatened him with a paper cutter over some remarks on his religion that Khatri had found objectionable. The witnesses had also told police that on the eve of the incident, a frightened Solanki had been running a high fever.
If released on bail, accused will tamper evidence: Cops
Further, police said that there was a possibility that if Khatri were to be released on bail, he was likely to tamper with the evidence and that they had a ‘strong objection’ to his being released on bail.
In his bail application, Khatri, a chemical engineering student, had told the court that except for the one isolated incident of threatening with a paper cutter, there was no charge that he had verbally insulted, threatened or incited Solanki to take the step. He had also urged that he was a bright student, his end-semester examinations were imminent and if he were not able to appear for them, the future of a bright student would be at stake.
