New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday granted conditional anticipatory bail to rape-accused Rohit Joshi, son of Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi. The bench of Additional Sessions Judge Vinay Singhal gave the order after hearing both sides. The court observed during the hearing that Joshi was unlikely to further attack the victim since she is already under protection after the order of the Rajasthan High Court.
This acts as a callback to the May 22 order by the HC, which directed the State to ensure the safety of the woman. "Let the respondents file a reply to the petition within two weeks. In the meanwhile, as an interim measure, respondents shall ensure the protection of life," Justice Virendra Kumar had ordered, during the earlier hearing.
On Thursday, the Tis Hazari court also imposed certain restrictions upon Joshi, such as that he would not leave Delhi or the country without permission. It further instructed him to appear before the Investigating Officer on Friday. The bench also allowed the investigating officer the opportunity to present a plea before the court in the future seeking cancellation of the current bail.
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The victim had earlier requested that the hearing take place in Delhi, bringing into notice the Congress rule in Rajasthan where the father of the perpetrator wielded political power. Joshi, meanwhile, maintained on Thursday that he got acquainted with the woman via Facebook. He claimed that the two were in a live-in relationship and that the latter had consented to it. The FIR lodged in the case accused Joshi of sexually abusing the victim between January 2021 and April 2022. She had also accused the minister's son of sexually assaulting her at Sawai Madhopur, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Jaipur.
