SRINAGAR: A court in J&K’s Kupwara on Monday rejected bail pleas of eight policemen, including a deputy SP, who are accused of illegally detaining a constable in custody for six days in Feb 2023 and subjecting him to gruesome torture.“The applicants have not been able to make out any case for grant of bail at this stage. The plea of default bail is untenable since no substantial change in circumstances has occurred subsequent to the rejection of their earlier bail applications,” judge Manjeet Singh Manhas said in his order.Earlier, on Oct 4, the court had rejected bail applications of all accused.In their fresh bail applications, the policemen argued that the chargesheet was filed on Oct 22, 2025, and the most serious charges like attempt to murder had been dropped against them.The CBI counsel contended that the chargesheet still contained substantive offences.The case is based on an FIR registered by the CBI on July 26, 2025, following directions from the Supreme Court of India in a 2023 special leave petition.As per case details, constable Khursheed Ahmed Chowhan was detained at an interrogation centre and tortured from Feb 20 to Feb. 26, 2023. Chowhan’s wife, Rubeena Akhter, had approached the Supreme Court alleging he was subjected to brutal torture by police under the pretext of investigating narcotics-related offenses. According to her complaint, Chowhan was beaten with iron rods and wooden sticks, given electric shocks and left in a critical condition. She also alleged he suffered severe injuries to his private parts and that the accused had inserted iron rod into his rectum and thrown chili powder into it.On July 21, the SC directed the CBI to register a case.Chowhan had earlier approached the J&K High Court seeking registration of an FIR, but his plea was dismissed.
