Written by Arun SharmaJammu | November 9, 2025 07:41 AM IST 3 min readThe trial court also determined the involvement of three more individuals — Jaipreet Singh alias Honey, Poonam Kumari, and Ghambir Singh — in the case.The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has denied bail to a retired superintendent of police facing trial for the murder of Sikh youth Avtar Singh over a land dispute, observing that he can be provided continuous medication and close follow-up even in jail.SP Sheikh Mehmood alias Modi bail plea was among four such applications, six criminal revision petitions and one petition under Section 528 of the BNSS disposed of through a common judgment pronounced by Justice Sanjay Dhar on November 4. He is one of nearly a dozen people arrested in connection with the death of Avtar Singh during a fight over land in 2024.Seeking bail, Modi claimed he had been implicated in the case and that he was in Delhi for a medical check-up on the day of the incident. He also submitted that he has been in custody since March 3, 2024, and suffers from cardiac ailment and Crohn’s disease, both requiring specialized treatment outside Jammu and Kashmir. His continued incarceration, he contended, could be fatal, adding that he is a decorated retired officer with no criminal background.Dismissing the plea, the high court cited the report of the medical board that examined him on August 14 during the pendency of the bail application. Justice Dhar noted that while the record confirms the petitioner underwent heart surgery in January 2010 and has suffered from Crohn’s disease since 2013, there is no evidence that his condition has deteriorated in jail.“It is not reported that his aforesaid ailments cannot be managed while he is in jail,” Justice Dhar observed, adding, “The only thing that has been reported by the medical board is that he requires continuous medication and close follow-up. This can be provided to him even while being incarcerated in jail.”The court concluded that Modi’s health condition did not warrant bail on medical grounds.The other accused include Parshotam Singh, Sachin Patyal, Ravinder Kumar Gupta, Davinder Pal Singh, Suraj Singh, Varun Kumar, Vikas Singh, and Sandeep Charak, besides Sharat Puri, Rajat Jandiyal, and Raghunandan Singh alias Raghu.Story continues below this adWhile Sharat, Rajat, and Raghunandan were discharged by the trial court, the others were charged with murder, attempted murder, and criminal conspiracy under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.The trial court also determined the involvement of three more individuals — Jaipreet Singh alias Honey, Poonam Kumari, and Ghambir Singh — in the case.Those against whom charges were framed filed criminal revision petitions and bail applications in the High Court, denying any conspiracy or intent to kill, arguing that none of them was armed.Meanwhile, the J&K government and the deceased’s father filed separate criminal revision petitions challenging the discharge of some accused.Story continues below this adDisposing of the petitions, the high court noted that while the assailants were unarmed and the weapon used to kill Avtar Singh was picked up from the spot, these facts alone were insufficient to conclude, at this stage, that the case was not one of murder but a sudden fight. © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Jammu