In a significant development in the case involving the alleged suicide abetment of 25-year-old TCS manager Manav Sharma, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday granted bail to his mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
Justice Sameer Jain, who was presiding over the matter, stated that the allegations made against the two women were of a general nature and not backed by strong or clear evidence.
"There is no cogent evidence on record to support the charges of abetment," the Court observed.
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The judge also took into account the fact that both the accused are women with no prior criminal records and have been in custody since March 15. The Court considered this relevant while deciding the bail application.
Sharma, who was working as a manager at TCS, died by suicide in February this year. In a disturbing incident, he recorded a video over six minutes long before taking his life, where he accused his wife and in-laws of mentally harassing him and driving him to take this step.
"He blamed his wife and her family in the video, holding them responsible for his death," noted the Court during the hearing.
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Soon after the incident, a viral video of Sharma’s wife surfaced on social media, where she alleged that Sharma had a drinking habit and would behave aggressively after consuming alcohol.
The mother-in-law and sister-in-law, who were booked under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), approached the High Court for bail. Their lawyer argued that they were falsely implicated in the case only because they are related to Sharma’s wife. It was claimed that no direct act or involvement could be proven against them in relation to the suicide.
Their counsel emphasized that the entire issue arose from a matrimonial dispute between the husband and wife and that the other family members have been unnecessarily dragged into the matter.
"They have no direct role in the incident and are suffering in jail without any strong case against them," argued the defence counsel.
The Additional Government Advocate (AGA) and the informant's lawyer opposed the bail request but could not effectively challenge the factual submissions made by the defence.
After considering all facts and arguments, the High Court decided to grant bail to both the mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
The case has been filed under the title:
Poonam Sharma And Another vs State of U.P.
"The applicants are women, in jail since March 15, and no strong evidence has been shown to justify continued custody," the Court concluded.
