What’s the story?
National level kabaddi player Rohit Kumar, who had been arrested following his wife Lalita’s suicide was granted bail by a Delhi court after spending two months in custody.
Along with him, the court also granted respite in the form of bail to his father Vijay Singh, after they signed a personal bond of Rs. 1 lakh each, in addition to a surety of the same amount.
“Considering the matter in totality, keeping in view the facts and circumstances of this case and period of custody and the fact that the suicide note and voice message of the deceased are yet to be verified and FSL result will take a considerable time, both the accused are admitted to bail in this case,” additional sessions Judge Rakesh Kumar II was quoted as saying to the Press Trust of India.
Although the court gave in to their bail pleas, it also issued a warning to them regarding influencing the witnesses and tampering with the evidence.
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The two accused, who were in judicial custody since the end of October following Lalita’s suicide on 17th October, have further been ordered by the court, to assist the investigative probe as and when required. Further, they have also been asked to surrender their passports to the Investigating Officer, and have been barred from travelling internationally without seeking prior permission from the court.
The father and son duo were arrested for two offences under sections 498A (cruelty to women) and 304B (dowry death) of the Indian Penal Code. However, the argument from their lawyer RS Malik, while seeking bail was that since it was a love marriage between Rohit and Lalita, the aspect of dowry could not possibly arise.
He also argued further that Lalita had been staying at her maternal home for 23 days before taking the final step, and thus there had been no particular allegation of her being subjected to cruelty or being harassed for dowry.
The prosecutor, on the other hand, opposed the bail application on the grounds that there were serious allegations of harassment and demand for dowry against the kabaddi player and his family. It was also alleged that despite receiving a sedan at the time of marriage, Rohit and his family had demanded a Toyota Fortuner car and a gold ring.
Heart of the matter
Lalita, who committed suicide on October 17 at her maternal house in Nangloi, left behind a suicide note and some audio and video clips, in which she alleged that her parents-in-law harassed her with “minor” issues while Rohit asked her to go away from his life.
At the time of his wife’s suicide, Rohit, who works with the Navy, was in Mumbai and was arrested by a police team on October 21 and subsequently taken to Delhi on October 23. His father, Vijay Kumar, who was posted as a sub-inspector with the Delhi police, was dismissed from duty and then arrested the same day after surrendering at the Nangloi Police Station in West Delhi.
Sportskeeda’s take
Rohit Kumar, who plays for the Bengaluru Bulls in the Pro Kabaddi League, may see a major down slide in his career in the light of these accusations. If he is found guilty of the crimes during the course of the trial, he will surely be handed a jail term and as such be barred from participation in any tournaments.
