The Delhi High Court rejected the plea filed by a rape accused, seeking interim bail to perform his father’s last rites, noting that the bail application was totally silent on various aspects, including record of recovery of the body of his father who allegedly died by drowning, papers of cremation and details of other ceremonies.
Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar noted that it would be dangerous to release him in the current COVID-19 pandemic situation as he will get in touch with people outside, increasing the risk of infection. Additionally the court noted that the village of the man is around 800 km from Delhi so it will be highly dangerous to release him on interim bail as it is not known as to how many persons he will get in touch while he will be there in his village.
There are great chances of his being infected and then his coming to jail after a period of interim bail would further complicate the matter which cannot be allowed in the current pandemic situation, it said.
Settle family affairs
Rakesh Kumar had claimed that his father died on April 9 by drowning in a river in Kurwa village in Uttar Pradesh Ambedkar Nagar and sought a two-month interim bail to perform the last rites and to settle family affairs.
Kumar is facing the rape case was registered against him in 2014 at Anand Parbat police station here. He has been lodged in jail for over six years.
The prosecution opposed the bail plea saying nothing has been placed on record to show that the man’s father died on April 9 due to drowning and contended that the allegations against him are serious in nature as he is accused of raping a minor girl.
