NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday set aside the Rs 2.5 crore financial condition imposed on Abhishek Gupta, CEO of Rau’s IAS Study Circle, while granting him interim bail. The case pertains to the tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants in the basement of the coaching institute in Old Rajinder Nagar in July 2024.
Justice Vikas Mahajan ruled in favour of Gupta, directing the trial court to reconsider his bail plea purely on its merits. The hearing on his interim bail is scheduled for Friday before the Rouse Avenue court.
Earlier, the trial court had granted Gupta interim bail on September 23, 2024, but imposed a condition requiring him to deposit Rs 2.5 crore with the Red Cross. This financial obligation was later stayed by the High Court. Its latest order comes after the Supreme Court had already set aside a similar condition requiring co-accused individuals to deposit Rs 5 crore. These co-owners of the basement were granted regular bail by the Delhi High Court on January 21.
Senior counsel Jayant Sood, appearing for Gupta, argued that since the Supreme Court had stayed such financial conditions and four co-accused had already secured regular bail, his client should not be subjected to a harsher standard.
The trial court had earlier extended interim bail for the accused while awaiting further consideration on January 31. On December 7, 2024, Gupta’s counsel had informed the trial court that the financial condition was under challenge in the High Court.