A bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and A K Patnaik directed the Delhi government to file its reply.

S S Rathee, currently serving life imprisonment in the Tihar jail after being convicted by the trial court on October 24, 2007, has moved the apex court, challenging the September 18 ruling of the Delhi High Court, which endorsed the trial court judgment. However, the Supreme Court bench refused to grant him bail pending the final disposal of the petition.

Rathee, who is behind bars for over four years in the Tihar jail, had sought bail.  A team of policemen, headed by Rathee had gunned down two businessmen, Pradeep Goyal and Jagjeet Singh. The incident took place in front of ‘The Statesman’ building in Connaught Place in broad day light on March 31, 1997. The Delhi police team had opened fire at the occupants of the car, mistaking one of them as a wanted gangster Yaseen.