It also directed Khandey to ‘‘ensure his presence before this court on each and every date of hearing without any excuse except for acceptable just cause’’.

Discounting the CBI counsel’s argument that the accused was likely to ‘‘give a slip to law’’ in case he was granted bail, the court said that Khandey ‘‘is a son of the soil, is deeply rooted, has his family, property, everything’’ in Kashmir.

The court also heard the bail pleas of two former ministers, Ghulam Ahmad Mir and Raman Mattoo, as also the alleged kingpin Sabeena and her husband Hamid Bulla, Mehraj Din Malik and and Shabir Kala, both alleged pimps. The court reserved its judgement on the matter and posted their applications for hearing on Friday. The court also heard arguments of the defence lawyer and the CBI counsel on the chargesheet.

The proceedings were held in-camera and the court fixed August 26 as the next date of hearing.