Policemen celebrate after the sessions court granted bail to the tainted cops on Wednesday. Picture by Sanat Kumar Sinha

Around 20 plainclothesmen threw decorum to the wind and broke into a jig in the city sessions court on Wednesday afternoon after a special bench granted interim bail to three police officers accused in the Rizwanur Rahman case.

“Bail hoye gechhe. Ebaar aamra office aaschhi,” a policeman broke the news to colleagues over his cellphone.

Room No. 14 of the court was packed with plainclothesmen from the detective department when acting chief judge Madhusudan Dutta took up the bail petitions of special superintendent Ajoy Kumar, assistant commissioner Sukanti Chakraborty and sub-inspector Krishnendu Das.

After three hours of arguments and counter-arguments, the judge granted bail to the accused around 4.30pm.

“Considering all aspects, I do not find any tangible ground for pre-trial detention of the present accused persons… The prayer for bail is considered and allowed,” the judge said.

The verdict was a signal for celebration for the cop brigade. After emerging from the court room, they danced and flashed the V-sign before television cameras. An assistant commissioner in uniform was heard telling his colleagues: “I am feeling relieved now.”

The interim bail was granted on condition that the accused would not step out of the jurisdiction of 14th metropolitan magistrate’s court without its consent. The jurisdiction extends from Shyampukur police station area in the north to Park Street police station in the south. The trio had to furnish a surety of Rs 10,000 each.

Moving the petition around 12.35pm, defence lawyer Milan Mukherjee said his clients should be granted bail as they had not been mentioned as absconders in the CBI chargesheet.

“Being government servants, they cannot run away. And since the chargesheet has already been filed, there is no question of tampering with evidence,” Mukherjee said.

Contesting him, CBI lawyer Partha Tapaswi submitted: “The accused are rich and influential and can destroy evidence. It will send a wrong signal if they are granted bail.”

Kalyan Banerjee, representing Rizwanur’s family, said the accused officers had violated the legal procedure.

“The trio had harassed and humiliated Rizwanur. It’s my humble request that their bail pleas be rejected. I still believe it’s not a case of abetment to suicide. The youth had been murdered. I will reveal everything at an appropriate time.”

Home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti said the government was waiting for police commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti’s report before deciding whether any departmental action would be taken against the accused.

“Before the report comes in, it will be premature to talk about the possibility of suspension,” the home secretary said.

Asked whether the government would stand by the officers, Chakrabarti said: “There is no question of defending anyone who has committed a wrong.”

Will the government act against former police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee and former deputy commissioner (headquarters) Gyanwant Singh, who were also under the CBI scanner?

“The investigating agency will prepare a draft charge against the two officers. We are waiting for that,” the home secretary said.