HC grants temporary bail to life convict for performing last rites of 14-year-old daughter

The Bombay High Court has granted temporary bail to a man serving a life sentence for murder so he can perform the last rites of his daughter, who died by suicide. The man will be allowed to travel to his hometown for four weeks on compassionate grounds.

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) on Wednesday granted temporary bail to a man convicted of murder after it was informed that the man’s 14-year-old daughter had died by suicide on June 26.

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The man, who is serving a life sentence, submitted that he wished to visit his hometown in Uttar Pradesh to perform the last rites of his daughter and to comfort and console his distraught wife.

The HC accepted the request and permitted the applicant to travel to his hometown for four weeks on compassionate grounds.

The division bench of justice Revati Mohite Dere and justice Gauri Godse while hearing the interim application of Jitendrakumar Yadav was informed by advocates Manas Gavankar and Vishal Hegde that the applicant was serving his life sentence in Silvassa prison after being convicted for murder by the Dadra and Nagar Haveli session court in October 2018.

The advocates informed the bench that Yadav was requesting an urgent hearing of his application for temporary bail as his daughter had died by suicide on June 26 in his hometown in Nagla Tejpal, Tundla, Firozabad district in UP. As per Hindu laws, he wished to conduct the final rituals of his minor daughter. The bench was also informed that the wife of the convict was distraught due to the sudden loss of their daughter and hence he needed to be with her in this testing time.

The bench was also informed that Yadav had earlier been released on parole/furlough and he had not misused his liberty and had reported on time. In light of these facts, Gavankar sought temporary bail for eight weeks.

After special public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar for Dadra and Nagar Haveli Administration confirmed that Yadav’s daughter had died by suicide and a communication from the sarpanch of Yadav’s village was submitted, the bench noted in its order, “Having regard to the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, we grant the applicant interim bail and accordingly suspend his sentence and enlarge the applicant on bail.”

Yadav has been asked to attend the concerned police station every alternate day and return back to the prison after four weeks.

Yadav had been booked and arrested for murdering a man in Silvassa using a pistol along with four others in 2011. After investigations, the police arrested him and he was tried by the Dadra sessions court and was found guilty of the murder and was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

According to Gavankar the reason behind the suicide is not known as Yadav’s wife who had contacted him was distraught and not in a position to disclose the facts. Gavankar however said he was glad and grateful to the HC for having considered the application and granted the reliefs sought on compassionate grounds to enable Yadav to carry out his religious obligations.