NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday granted custody parole to jailed gangster Neeraj Sehrawat alias Neeraj Bawania, allowing him to visit his critically ill wife and give consent for her surgery. His wife, Aarti, is currently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Mehta Hospital in Pandav Nagar, east Delhi.
Justice Manoj Jain allowed the parole for July 1, between 10 a.m and 4 p.m, directing the Jail Superintendent to ensure adequate security measures given the high-risk nature of the prisoner. Bawania has been directed not to interact with anyone other than his wife and the concerned doctor during his custody parole.
Initially, Bawania had sought interim bail for six weeks to take care of his hospitalised wife, citing her deteriorating health and urgent need for surgery. His counsel, senior advocate N Hariharan along with advocate Siddharth Yadav, told the Court that there was no one else to attend to her or sign the necessary paperwork.
The defence first requested custody parole for two days, but later scaled it down to one day, citing the immediate nature of the surgery. The plea for interim bail was opposed by Additional Public Prosecutor Laksh Khanna, who submitted that Bawania is a high-risk prisoner with criminal antecedents.
He argued there is a genuine apprehension of gang violence in the city and that Bawania’s release, even temporarily, could endanger public safety. “One person has already been killed,” he added, citing the volatile gang rivalry landscape in the capital. Khanna also said the regular bail application of the accused had already been dismissed by the HC in January, with the issue of trial delay having been duly considered.