Delhi High Court Grants Bail to Accused in Kanjhawla Hit-and-Drag Case
The Delhi High Court has recently granted regular bail to Krishan and Manoj Mittal, who were accused in the Kanjhawla hit-and-drag case. This incident, which occurred on January 1, 2023, resulted in the victim’s death, and the accused have been in custody since then.
Details of the Bail Decision
Justice Amit Mahajan, who granted the bail, mentioned that at this stage, it cannot be said that the accused had the intention to cause the accident. The question of whether they conspired in the offense will be determined during the trial.
Statements from the Court
Justice Mahajan stated, “While the nature of the offense is heinous, and the applicants were admittedly passengers of the said vehicle which caused the accident, at this stage, it cannot be said that the applicants had the intention to cause the said accident.”
The court noted that the accused had allegedly asked the driver to stop the car. The bench observed, “The applicants, it appears, are sought to be made accused by invoking the provisions of Section 120B of the IPC, which makes every person guilty who is part of the criminal conspiracy to commit an offense.”
Justice Mahajan added, “It cannot, prima facie, be alleged that solely for the reasons that the applicants were sitting in the same vehicle or were aware that the victim was caught under the vehicle and still the vehicle was being driven, they are guilty of criminal conspiracy. The same would be tested at the time of trial.”
Conditions and Observations
The High Court emphasized that the purpose of jail is to ensure the appearance of the accused during the trial, not to punish or prevent them. However, appropriate conditions should be put in place to prevent tampering with evidence or evading the trial.
The accused have been in custody since January 1, 2023, and the chargesheet has already been filed. The court noted that only six witnesses have been examined so far, and the trial is not expected to conclude soon.
The court clarified that if any new complaints are lodged against the accused, the State can seek cancellation of bail.
Legal Representation
Advocate JP Singh appeared for Krishan, and Advocate Akshay Bhandari appeared for Manoj Mittal.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi High Court -: The Delhi High Court is a big building where important judges work. They make decisions about serious problems and cases in Delhi, the capital city of India.
Bail -: Bail is when someone who is in jail is allowed to go home until their trial. They promise to come back to court when the judge tells them to.
Accused -: Accused means someone who people think did something wrong or bad. In this case, Krishan and Manoj Mittal are the people who are thought to have done something bad.
Kanjhawla -: Kanjhawla is a place in Delhi. It is where the hit-and-drag accident happened.
Hit-and-Drag Case -: A hit-and-drag case is when a vehicle hits a person and then drags them along the road. This is very dangerous and can hurt or even kill the person.
Justice Amit Mahajan -: Justice Amit Mahajan is a judge at the Delhi High Court. Judges are people who decide what is right and wrong in legal cases.
Chargesheet -: A chargesheet is a document that the police make. It lists all the things they think the accused did wrong.
Trial -: A trial is a process in court where it is decided if the accused person did something wrong. It involves lawyers, a judge, and sometimes a jury.