The bail plea of the four police officers including former SP Shopian, Javid Iqbal Matoo was rejected by the Sessions Judge on Thursday saying that it is “premature to grant bail to the arrested police officers at this juncture.”

The four police suspended officers SP Mattoo, DSP Rohit Baskotra, Station House Officer (SHO) Shafiq Ahmad and the sub inspector, Gazi Abdul Karim are in the judicial custody from July 30. The police officers are accused of destroying the evidence in the rape and murder of Asiya Jan and her sister-in-law Nelofer during the intervening night of 29 and 30 May in Shopian.

The Principal District and Sessions Judge, Tauqeer Ahmad, had reserved the judgment on the bail plea moved by the accused police officers on July 26 after the directions of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court Lawyer Asim Mahorotra and Mohammad Naseem — a Kashmiri lawyer — had filed the joint bail application on behalf of police officers. The arguments by defence and prosecution had lasted for four day after the bail application was moved. On July 31, the court had reserved its decision on whether or not to grant bail to the accused.

Justice Tauqueer while rejecting the bail plea today observed that the investigations which is being carried out by the Special Investigation Team of the J-K Police to probe the rape and murder of two Shopian women might be hampered if bail is granted to them. “At this point of time it is pre-mature to grant the bail to four accused,” he observed in his 37 page judgment.