New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has set aside the trial court order directing Abhishek Gupta, CEO of Rau's IAS Study Circle here, to deposit Rs 2.5 crore for interim bail in connection with the death of three students due to drowning in July last year.
The bench, headed by Justice Vikas Mahajan, ordered the trial court to hear the regular bail and evaluate the case on its own merits.
Abhishek Gupta's counsel argued that the Supreme Court had overturned a similar condition, wherein the trial court had ordered a co-accused to deposit Rs 5 crore in a related case. Notably, four other co-accused in the case had already secured regular bail, after the High Court converted their interim bail on January 21.
In July last year, three UPSC aspirants drowned to death after remaining trapped in the basement library of the RAU’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajendra Nagar when the floodwaters rushed in.
On July 28, Delhi Police arrested coaching centre owner Abhishek Gupta and coordinator Deshpal Singh. A day later, four co-owners of RAU's IAS Study Circle and an SUV driver were arrested. The SUV driver Kathuria, who drove through the flooded streets of Rajendra Nagar at the time of the mishap, was charged with culpable homicide and voluntarily causing hurt.
At least seven persons were arrested in the case. This apart, Delhi Police also registered a case under various sections of culpable homicide against building management, system maintenance workers and other accused. On August 2, the Delhi High Court handed over investigation of the case to CBI. As of today, all the accused are out on bail.
