New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stated the interim bail to journalist Arnab Goswami and two other folks in an abetment to suicide case will continue till the Bombay High Court disposes of their plea, and stated that the judiciary must make certain criminal law does not turn into a weapon for selective harassment.
The apex court had granted interim bail to Goswami on November 11, saying it will be ”travesty of justice” if private liberty is curtailed. A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud on Friday gave factors for granting relief to the Television anchor and two other folks in the case.
It stated Goswami’s interim bail shall be operative for yet another 4 weeks from the day the higher court decides his pending plea in the 2018 abetment to suicide case.
The bench also stated the Supreme Court, higher courts and decrease courts should be alive to the misuse of criminal law by the state machinery. They must make certain criminal law does not turn into a weapon for the selective harassment of citizens, it stated. “Doors of this court cannot be closed to citizen who has prima facie showed state has misused its power,” it stated, adding that deprivation of private liberty even for a single day is as well substantially.
There is pressing have to have for courts to remedy institutional difficulties of delay in dealing with bail applications, it stated. Referring to the information of the case, it stated prima facie there is disconnect among FIR and components of offence of abetment to suicide.
The prime court had granted interim bail to two other folks in the case — Neetish Sarda and Feroz Mohammad Shaikh — on a private bond of Rs 50,000 every single and directed that they shall not tamper with the proof and shall cooperate in the probe.
The accused have been arrested by Alibaug police in Maharashtra’s Raigad district on November 4 in connection with the suicide of architect-interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother in 2018 more than alleged non-payment of dues by providers of the accused.