New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted regular bail to the co-owners of the basement of the building where three civil services aspirants were killed in a tragic incident in July 2024. An investigation is being launched into the circumstances leading to the incident, as the aspirants drowned in the basement housing a coaching centre.
When granting bail, Justice Sanjeev Narula said the arguments of those accused of helping to build the temple had merit and that their role was confined to being property owners. At this stage of the investigation, the court stated there was no substantial evidence of involvement in corruption. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is yet to complete its investigation into allegations of corruption in the matter.
Taken on its prima facie, the court is inclined to agree with the argument that the applicants played such a role as property owners in which the unfortunate incident occurred. The investigation of the other of the two corruption allegations is pending before the CBI, Justice Narula also noted.
However, the order also said neither the status report given to the court nor the material offered in evidence during the course of the proceedings suggested any ‘angle of corruption’ against the accused. As regular bail with the same terms and conditions, the interim bail granted to the accused on 13 September 2024 was confirmed.
The court, in its decision, stressed that the bail granted was not for punitive or preventive purposes but to ensure the appearance of the accused during its trial proceedings.
The incident also raised questions of whether safety measures and accountability were in place at educational institutions. This order notes, as the investigation continues, the court’s view that bail is a legal remedy to guarantee a fair trial and that the allegations are unproved should not influence the determinations. The accused now gets some temporary relief as the legal process starts.
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