NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has granted regular bail to two accused in the high-profile Kanjhawala hit-and-drag case.
The accused, Krishan and Manoj Mittal were in the car that dragged a woman for over 10 km, which led to her death on January 1, 2023. They had been in custody since the incident.
Justice Amit Mahajan, who presided over the case, stated in the August 14 order that, at this stage, it cannot be conclusively said that the accused had any intention to cause the accident. The Court emphasised that whether the accused conspired to commit the offense is a matter to be determined during the trial.
While acknowledging the heinous nature of the offense, Justice Mahajan noted that the evidence available at this stage does not clearly indicate that the accused had the intent to cause harm. The Court took into consideration the defense’s argument that the accused had allegedly urged the driver to stop the car during the incident.
The bench also remarked that the accused are being charged under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with criminal conspiracy. The court clarified that whether the accused were part of a conspiracy to commit an act likely to cause death is an issue to be resolved in the trial.
The Court reiterated that custody is intended to ensure the accused’s appearance during the trial rather than serve as a punitive or preventive measure. However, the Court imposed conditions on bail to prevent any potential tampering with evidence or evasion of trial.
Despite the chargesheet being filed, the trial has seen limited progress with only six witnesses examined so far. The Court also mentioned that in case of future complaints against the accused, the State could seek the cancellation of bail.