Jailbreak case: Siddique pulls back bail plea for mother’s death anniversary

Panaji: Suleman Siddique Khan, an alleged land-grab accused, withdrew his application seeking interim bail on Wednesday. He had sought interim bail to perform rituals on his mother’s first death anniversary.

After the court expressed disinclination to hear his application, Khan sought permission to withdraw it. Justice Bharati Dangre gave him the nod.

Khan, 54, filed a bail application in the HC stating that the rituals were scheduled for June 7. He said he wished to visit his mother’s grave with his family, perform rituals, participate in prayers, and distribute free food to the poor.

His mother passed away on June 7, 2024, he submitted. Being a son, all arrangements for the death anniversary lie on his shoulders, which he needs to fulfil, he submitted.

He added that all the cases against him are due to political vendetta and rivalry with one politician, which emerged due to a land issue.

Khan was arrested by the SIT after intensive efforts in Nov last year. He escaped from Goa police custody in Dec and was rearrested in Kerala later in the month. In Feb, Goa police filed two different chargesheets against him in connection with alleged land grab cases at Mapusa and Gaoilim-Moula.

In the first case, he is alleged to have dishonestly prepared forged documents by impersonating lawful owners of landed property within the Mapusa Municipal Council and succeeded in transferring ownership rights, thereby cheating property owners of their legal rights.

In the second case, he is alleged to have prepared fake sale deeds and forged signatures, showing them as executed before the Valpoi sub-registrar and using the dodgy papers as genuine.