LI Network
Published on: October 4, 2023 at 19:45 IST
The Supreme Court of India has overturned a bail condition set by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which required an accused individual to deposit ₹50 lakhs for his release on bail.
The bench comprising Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar highlighted that the lengthy incarceration of the accused was a direct consequence of this bail condition.
The case, titled Mohanlal Maliwad vs State of Madhya Pradesh, had been under scrutiny since the accused’s appeal against a January 2021 ruling by the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The High Court had granted him bail contingent upon the substantial payment of ₹50 lakhs.
However, upon careful consideration, the Supreme Court justices found that the accused had already endured nearly three years of imprisonment while the trial was in progress, and the charge-sheet had been filed.
Given these circumstances, the bench ruled in favor of the petitioner, stating, “As a consequence, he has been incarcerated for the past nearly 3 years. The record discloses that the charge-sheet has been filed and the trial has commenced. In these circumstances, the petitioner is directed to be enlarged on bail without the condition imposed by the High Court. Directed accordingly.”
Advocates Sarvam Ritam Khare, Jayasree Narasimhan, and Akash Shukla represented the accused, Mohanlal Maliwad, in the case. On the other side, Government Advocate Abhimanyu Singh, along with advocates Bhagwan Jee Thakur and Pashupathi Nath Razdan, represented the Madhya Pradesh government.
This ruling marks a significant development in the legal landscape, emphasizing the importance of a fair and just legal process for all individuals involved in legal proceedings.