Anissia Batra suicide case: In-laws move SC asking for pre-arrest bail; court to hear matter on 14 October

The in-laws of flight attendant Anissia Batra, who allegedly killed herself by jumping off the terrace of her in July 2018, on Thursday have moved the Supreme Court asking for pre-arrest bail. The court has set the matter for hearing after ten days, CNN-News18 reported. [caption id=“attachment_5316551” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Anissia Batra with her husband Mayank. News18[/caption] The apex court told the lawyer representing Batra’s in-laws Sushma and RS Singhvi, “It is a very serious matter, cannot just brush it aside,”  ANI reported. According to ANI, the court said that there is police evidence that shows cruelty against Batra. The move comes after the Delhi High Court last week denied anticipatory bail to Batra’s in-laws, according to The Indian Express. The court cited the Delhi Police’s statement which said the Singhvi couple had been their son Mayank’s accomplices in harassing Anissia, NDTV reported. “From the documents placed on record, particularly the supplementary statement of the father of Anissia, the WhatsApp messages and email to counsel, the continuous course of harassment and torture to the deceased is evident,” the court was quoted as saying by NDTV. “Further, as noted from the supplementary statement of the father of the deceased, there was a clear demand of Rs  10 lakh. Hence this court does not find it to be a fit case to grant of anticipatory bail to the petitioners.” The Singhvis had approached the high court after the trial court denied them anticipatory bail on 20 July, The Indian Express reported. Justice Mukta Gupta said that no ‘fit case’ has been found to grant anticipatory bail to the accused. However, the couple claimed that they had no role in the suicide, and any dispute between their son and daughter-in-law was their internal matter, Times Now reported. Anissia allegedly jumped from the terrace of her residence in south Delhi’s Panchsheel Park on 14 July following which her husband, Mayank Singhvi, was arrested on the charges of dowry death on 16 July. Her family has been demanding the arrest of Mayank’s parents and has accused Mayank of physically abusing her.