Actor Bikram pleads HC for anticipatory bail

In a bid to avoid getting arrested, actor Bikram Chatterjee appealed before the Calcutta high court to grant him anticipatory bail in connection with the incident in which model Sonika Chauhan was killed.

Rajdeep Majudar, Bikram's counsel, moved before the division Bench of Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice Debi Prosad Dey seeking anticipatory bail.

According to investigating officers, Bikram has taken the step to appeal for anticipatory bail after the Alipore Court had allowed police to amend the sections against him under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to 304 (IPC).

While initiating the case soon after the accident in which Sonika was killed on April 29, the police had booked Bikram on charges of causing death by negligence under Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and rash driving (279 IPC). But after receiving the report of the forensic experts, the police had moved to the court to amend the section. The court on May 30 allowed the police to book Bikram on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 304 IPC for which the punishment would go up to ten years if found guilty.

The police had moved to the court seeking amendment in the section after forensic experts confirmed that the car was at a speed of something in between 95 to 115 km per hour.

Investigating officers felt that Bikram moved the High Court apprehending that the police might arrest him any time after section was changed to 304 IPC and he took the step to avoid getting arrested.

It may be recalled that Bikram was questioned by the investigating officers from Tollygunge police station after he was released from the private hospital off EM Bypass where he got admitted after the accident. The police had also questioned some of his friends and co-actors in this connection.