NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Sumera Parvez, the wife of deceased international motorbike racer Asbak Mon Tharoth, in connection with his 2018 murder.
The court also questioned the State of Rajasthan on the significant delay in filing the First Information Report (FIR), which was registered only in 2020—two years after the crime allegedly took place.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta noted that Parvez had already been in custody for nearly three years, while other co-accused individuals had been granted bail by the Rajasthan High Court. The apex court, therefore, allowed her plea for bail.
Parvez, accused of conspiring in her husband's murder, had moved the Supreme Court after her bail plea was rejected by the Rajasthan High Court last year.
In her plea, she maintained her innocence and claimed the case against her was a "malicious attempt to frame" her. She further stated that she was a mother to a young child who was in urgent need of her care and affection.
The case has attracted national attention, not only due to the brutal nature of the crime but also because of the complex personal relationships involved.
Tharoth, a well-known international biker and a participant in the prestigious ‘India Baja Off-Road Rally,’ was allegedly murdered in 2018 over a long-standing personal dispute.
Talking to The New Indian Express, Parvez’s counsel, Tarini K. Nayak, highlighted the delay in filing the FIR, calling it a "staggering delay of two years" that raises doubts about the credibility of the investigation.
"The delay in filing the FIR, even though the crime allegedly took place in 2018, raises serious doubts about the credibility of the entire investigation and the overall version of the prosecution," Nayak said.
He also pointed out the weak nature of the allegations, stating, "The accusations—ranging from her failure to respond to a text message, to brief phone calls with one of the other accused, to a vague marital dispute with the deceased—are far from sufficient to establish any criminal intent or conspiracy linking Parvez to the crime."
On 24 January 2025, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the State of Rajasthan, seeking a detailed response to Parvez's plea within four weeks.
Parvez’s legal team further argued that the investigation was flawed, alleging that key witness statements appeared to be "copy-pasted," raising questions about their authenticity.
"The key statements from the victim’s family and other witnesses are eerily similar, suggesting they were fabricated or coerced to support a predetermined narrative," the plea stated.
The charges against Parvez have also come under scrutiny as the primary motive for the murder appears to be a personal dispute between Tharoth and two other accused individuals—Sanjay Kumar and Vishwas—both of whom have already been granted bail. The chargesheet claims this animosity dates back to a 2017 racing competition involving the three men.
Parvez was represented by senior advocates Siddharth Dave and Renjith Marar, along with Tarini K. Nayak and Aaditya Mishra.
