NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Tuesday granted bail to the in-laws of a flight attendant who allegedly committed suicide in July, saying the elderly couple was primarily accused of instigating their son against her and not of demanding dowry.
While giving the relief to flight attendant Anissia Batra's parents-in-law R S Singhvi and Sushma Singhvi, Justice Mukta Gupta also said that they have already undergone custodial interrogation and considering the medical condition of the deceased's mother-in-law, who suffers from breast cancer, it was a fit case to grant bail.
"Considering the facts noted above and that in the detailed narration of the deceased (Anissia) to her lawyer the allegations against the petitioners (in-laws) are of instigating their son and not primarily of any demand of dowry, the fact that petitioners have been subjected to custodial interrogation and considering the medical condition of petitioner 2 (Sushma Singhvi) who though has been assigned a greater role as compared to petitioner 1 (R S Singhvi), this court deems it fit to grant bail to the petitioners," the high court said.
It directed that the Singhvis be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each with two surety bonds of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the trial court.
The high court further said that the in-laws "will not leave the country without prior permission of the trial court and in case of change in their residential address the same will be intimated to the court concerned".
With the direction, the high court disposed of the Singhvis' plea seeking bail in the dowry death case against them.
They had surrendered before the police on November 1. Anissia (39), who was married to Mayank Singhvi for two years, worked with a German airline.
She allegedly jumped from the terrace of her house in Panchsheel Park in south Delhi on July 13.
Mayank rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead. He was arrested on July 16.
Anissia's family alleged that her husband physically abused her and often demanded money. The family claimed before the trial court that her death was not suicide but murder.
Mayank's parents were earlier denied anticipatory bail by the high court. Before jumping off the terrace, Anissia sent a message to her husband that she would kill herself, police said earlier.
Mayank, a software engineer in Gurgaon, told the police that they had regular fights due to "compatibility issues".
They had an argument on the day of the incident as well following which she jumped from the terrace, police said.
The victim's family had also given a complaint to police on June 27, saying Mayank would be responsible if anything happens to their daughter, police said.