New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted a two-day interim bail to a murder convict to marry his fiancé.
The three-judge bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra and KM Joseph passed this order with a direction that the petitioner will remain under police escort, during the entire period of interim bail.
The petitioner, Vishal Bunti, was convicted in a murder case by the Sessions Court and his appeal is pending before the Delhi High Court.
The petitioner had filed an interim bail application before the Delhi High Court, seeking only one day’s interim bail, so that he could marry his fiancé and leave her at his parental home.
The high court refused his plea on the ground that there are four other ‘serious and heinous cases’ against him and that his jail conduct after 2016 was reported to be unsatisfactory, although the status report filed before the high court indicated that his fiancé is living separately from her parents and that she gave her consent to marry him. The petitioner then approached the top court for relief.
The Supreme Court, in its order, said:
“In the above backdrop, we are of the view that the appellant should be granted interim release for a period of two days under police escort. The appellant shall continue to remain under police escort in view of the apprehension which has been expressed by the Additional Solicitor General that the appellant should not use the order of release to abscond. We, accordingly, issue a direction to the effect that the appellant shall be released on interim bail for a period of two days. During this period, the appellant shall remain under police escort and, after the expiry of the period, shall surrender back forthwith. The police escort shall be in plain clothes and shall be at the cost of the appellant.”
-India Legal Bureau