NEW DELHI: The Allahabad high court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to Sushil Singhania, the uncle of Nikita Singhania, in the suicide case of Artificial Intelligence engineer Atul Subhash.
Justice Ashutosh Srivastava passed the order while hearing the bail application filed on behalf of Atul’s wife, Nikita Singhania, and her in-laws.According to a Bengaluru Police official, Nikita Singhania was arrested in Gurugram, Haryana, while her mother, Nisha Singhania, and brother, Anurag Singhania, were arrested in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly abetting Atul Subhash’s suicide. They were taken into custody on Saturday, brought to Bengaluru, and sent to judicial custody for 14 days after being presented in a local court.
In the high court, senior counsel Manish Tiwary argued that while Nikita, Nisha, and Anurag had already been arrested, the anticipatory bail application was being pressed solely on behalf of Sushil Singhania.
It was argued that the arrests were based on a suicide note and a video that had circulated online. The counsel submitted that Sushil Singhania, aged 69, suffers from chronic medical issues, is incapacitated, and could not have abetted the suicide.
The counsel further argued that there is a difference between harassment and abetment, claiming that even if the suicide note is considered, the allegations suggest harassment rather than abetment. It was also submitted that Section 108, 3(5) of the BNS might not apply to the case.
After hearing the arguments, the court ruled, “Considering the above, the court is of the opinion that applicant Sushil Singhania is entitled to get the privilege of pre-arrest (Transit) Anticipatory.
”The court directed that if the applicant is arrested in connection with the case, he should be released on anticipatory bail until the police file a report under Section 173(2) of the CrPC. The applicant was asked to furnish a personal bond of ₹50,000 and two sureties of the same amount to the satisfaction of the magistrate or concerned court.
The court also imposed conditions: the applicant must be available for police interrogation as required, must not influence witnesses, and cannot leave India without prior court permission. If the applicant has a passport, it must be submitted to the concerned SSP or SP.