The Allahabad High Court has granted interim bail to Manju Devi, an accused in the Hathras satsang stampede case.
A single-judge bench of Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav passed this order while hearing a Criminal Misc Bail Application filed by Manju Devi.
The bail application under Section 483 of B.N.S has been filed by the applicant seeking enlargement on bail in Case under Sections 105, 110, 126(2), 223, 238, 132 and 121 (1) of B.N.S, 2023 and Section 7 of Criminal Law Amendment Act, Police Station Sikandrarau, District Hathras.
Counsel for the applicant has submitted that the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the case. The applicant is a married lady aged about 45 years and she is not named in the FIR even no role has been assigned to the applicant.
During investigation, the investigating officer has obtained a pamphlet of the spiritual event dated 02.07.2024 wherein the name of the applicant is being shown and only on the basis of her name shown in the list, the applicant has been implicated. The applicant is languishing in jail since 04.07.2024 having no previous criminal antecedents.
Manish Goyal, Additional Advocate General, vehemently opposed the prayer for bail and has submitted that in the alleged incident, total 131 peoples have lost their lives and in view the seriousness of the allegations made in the impugned FIR, applicant does not deserve any indulgence by the Court.
He has further stated that on September 10 was the date fixed for statement of the applicant before three-member enquiry committee and in case the statement of the applicant is not recorded on September 10, the applicant may be directed to record her statement before the concerned Committee by tomorrow or by day after tomorrow.
The Court ordered,
Till the next date of listing, the applicant Manju Devi, involved in the aforementioned case crime, be released on interim bail on her furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned with the following conditions:
(i) The applicant shall co-operate with the Investigating Officer during investigation and shall report to the Investigating Officer as and when required for the purpose of conducting investigation.
(ii) The applicant shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade her from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer.
(iii) The applicant shall not leave the country during investigation without prior permission from the Court.
(iv) The applicant shall surrender her passport, if any, to the concerned Court forthwith.
It is made clear that the order of the interim bail will be effective after recording the statement of the applicant before the Committee.
The concerned committee is also directed to record the statement of the applicant positively by tomorrow or by day after tomorrow.