High Court Holds Verdict on Plea by Suspended Katni Officer

A plea seeking to quash a case and grant anticipatory bail to Neha Pachchisia, the suspended CSP of Katni in Madhya Pradesh, has been heard in full by the Jabalpur High Court. The court has now kept its decision in reserve.

The petition is being closely watched, as it involves a former senior police official who is currently absconding and has been suspended from duty.

The background to the case lies in a murder case under the Kuthla police station limits in Katni. The prosecution alleges that a charge sheet was not submitted within the legal time frame during Neha's tenure, enabling one of the accused to obtain default bail. Neha is also facing allegations linked to a land transaction. She was suspended and a case was lodged against her after these allegations surfaced.

In an application placed before the court, Neha has denied any role in the land dealings. She has asked the court to dismiss the case registered against her. The matter was heard by Justice Anand Pathak and Justice Rajkumar Chaubey, and the hearing concluded on Wednesday.

Apart from Neha, two other accused are named in the FIR, which includes charges of cheating and other sections. Katni Police have announced a reward of Rs 10,000 each for the arrest of all three.

The prosecution has claimed that land belonging to the accused was purchased at a steep discount through an agent. The property was registered under the name of Maroof Ahmed Hanafi, whose bank account had only a few thousand rupees before the purchase. Funds were reportedly transferred into his account by Kshitij. Land valued at about Rs 1 crore was allegedly bought for Rs 15 to 20 lakh.

The case was registered against the three accused after a departmental inquiry into the matter.