New Delhi [India], November 15 : The Delhi High Court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to Vijay Kumar, a Municipal Councillor accused of allegedly harassing and financially exploiting a sanitary worker, who died by suicide at his residence.
Justice Mini Pushkarna, while rejecting the bail plea, observed that there was a possibility of the petitioner influencing witnesses and destroying or concealing electronic and documentary evidence. The court also noted that independent electronic corroborative material supported the case, including audio recordings recovered from the deceased's mobile phone.
Justice Pushkarna said, "Thus, there is possibility of influencing the witnesses and destruction, concealment of electronic and documentary evidence. It is further to be noted that the present case is not based solely upon the allegations of the complainant, but there is independent and electronic corroborative material and audio recordings recovered from the mobile phone of the deceased."
"In view of the gravity of the allegations, the stage of the investigation, and the necessity of custodial interrogation, this Court is not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner," Justice Pushkarna ordered on November 4.
The deceased allegedly died by suicide by hanging at his residence following alleged pressure and harassment at the hands of the petitioner. An FIR in connection with the matter was registered at Kalyan Puri Police Station.
According to the allegations made by the wife of the deceased, her husband wanted to purchase a house through the petitioner, who is a Municipal Councillor in the area where the deceased resided. For this purpose, the deceased had obtained a loan of Rs 15 lakh through the petitioner. However, the petitioner allegedly retained and appropriated the entire loan amount.
The complainant further alleged that the deceased had not been receiving his salary for several months before the incident. When he approached the petitioner regarding the pending salary and the loan amount, the latter allegedly continued to exert pressure on him and threatened to get him transferred.
It was also alleged that the petitioner had forcibly retained the deceased's original bank passbooks, ATM cards, cheque books, property-related documents and personal identity documents.
The wife further alleged that the deceased was subjected to continued mental harassment and financial exploitation, which caused him severe tension and depression. She claimed that he remained deeply troubled until the day of his death.
While considering the anticipatory bail plea, the High Court also took note of the fact that the complainant and other persons connected with the deceased resided in the same locality and were acquainted with the petitioner. The court considered this circumstance relevant while assessing the possibility of witnesses being influenced during the investigation.
The court's decision came after considering the submissions made by the complainant and the facts and circumstances of the case. The petitioner's earlier bail application had also been rejected by the trial court on October 17, 2026.