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Delhi HC grants bail to man who allegedly assaulted women doctors, accused them for spreading Covid-19
The police had arrested him on a complaint by a 29-year-old junior resident doctor at Safdarjung Hospital who had alleged that he started speaking about social distancing and remarked that doctors like them were spreading infection in residential areas.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Sanjeev Sharma, an interior designer, who was arrested by the city police for allegedly assaulting two women resident doctors of Safdarjung Hospital after accusing them of spreading Covid-19 in Gautam Nagar area on April 8.
Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar granted bail to Sharma on a personal bond of Rs 20,000 after the police had arrested him on a complaint by a 29-year-old junior resident doctor at Safdarjung Hospital who had alleged that Sharma started speaking about social distancing and remarked that doctors like them were spreading infection in residential areas while she had gone to the market on April 8.
According to the complaint, she then told Sharma that she knew the importance of social distancing and tried to reason out with him but he got abusive and aggressive and threatened that he would get a case registered against them.
It also said that Sharma even assaulted them and touched them inappropriately when they were about to leave the spot.
Sharma was granted bail by the Metropolitan Magistrate on April 9, however, it was cancelled on the same day by the Additional Sessions Judge looking into the seriousness of the allegations. Aggrieved, he moved to the Delhi High Court seeking release from the jail.
Appearing for him, his counsel contended that his client had been falsely implicated and he had only protested against the complainant and her sister for not maintaining the social distancing. He said that both the ladies became aggressive and told that they were doctors and knew the meaning of social distancing.
However, the court said that Sharma being an educated man should have been respectful to the doctors rather than abusing and threatening them.
“The country is passing through a very difficult phase and the doctors are rendering service to the nation. The petitioner being an educated man, as stated by the counsel for the petitioner that he is an interior designer by profession, should have been respectful to the doctors rather than abusing and threatening them,” the court said.
It also stated that No useful purpose would be served by keeping him in judicial custody and overcrowding Tihar Jail.
“Therefore, in view of the above facts and circumstances, the petitioner is admitted to bail on his furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs 20,000 with one surety of the like amount subject to the satisfaction of the concerned MM/Duty MM,” the court said.
