Delhi Court Grants Bail to Malviya Nagar Couple in Racism Case

New Delhi: A Delhi court has granted bail to a Malviya Nagar couple, who were accused of using racial slurs against people of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur in Feb. The couple’s 30-day interim bail expired on Monday.Additional sessions judge Samar Vishal was hearing the regular bail plea of Harsh Priya Singh and Ruby Jain, who were produced before the court. They were granted interim bail on March 11.Advocates Abinash Kumar, BP Singh and Sumanta Barik, appearing for the accused, told the court that the couple had complied with all the conditions for regular bail, laid down in the previous order.The court had earlier directed police to file a status report regarding their conduct.

The police told the court that the accused had adhered to all conditions, adding that they had already shifted their residence.The defence also told the court that Jain was under continuous medication for tuberculosis. They supported the claim with hospital documentation. They argued that the couple had suffered “reputational damage” due to the case and had apologised both publicly on social media and personally to their victims in the presence of their landlord.

Opposing the plea, advocate Liyi Noshi, appearing for the prosecution, urged that a “message is to be sent” by not allowing such grave instances of racism to be taken lightly. She told the court that one of the victims had to move back to Manipur amid ongoing ethnic violence. “It may have not caused them any physical injuries, but it did harm them in many other ways and cause them a significant loss of future opportunities,” she said.However, after taking note of the police status report and completion of investigation, the court granted regular bail to the accused.The couple was arrested on Feb 25 for allegedly hurling racial slurs at three women hailing from the Northeast states. The dispute reportedly arose on Feb 20 when debris during an AC installation fell on the couple’s house below.