The Delhi High Court today, Thursday, January 30, overturned a trial court’s directive requiring Rau’s IAS Study Circle CEO Abhishek Gupta to deposit Rs 2.5 crore as a condition for interim bail in connection with death by drowning of three students in the institute’s flooded basement last July. This was stated in a report by the Hindustan Times.
Justice Vikas Mahajan clarified that the issue of bail would be determined solely on merit by the trial court.
Senior counsel representing Gupta argued that the condition should be set aside, citing a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a similar requirement imposed on a co-accused to deposit Rs 5 crore with the Red Cross.
"Having regard to the circumstances and the decision of the Supreme Court… the condition… of the impugned order dated September 23, 2024, to the extent that the petitioner was directed to deposit Rs 2.5 crore, is set aside," the court ruled.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel stated that all agency contentions in the matter should remain open.
Gupta’s counsel further informed the court that interim bail granted to the co-accused, the basement’s owners, had been confirmed by the high court with a reduced requirement — depositing Rs 5 lakh with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) as a voluntary contribution.
Meanwhile, a lawyer representing the family of one of the deceased students sought additional time to file a reply, stating that he had already challenged the interim bail order in the high court. However, the court dismissed the request, emphasising that ample time had been provided.
"Whatever the Supreme Court has said, I will say the same thing and send it back to the trial court. You can't take the ground that you were busy in high-profile matters," Justice Mahajan remarked.
The case stems from the tragic deaths of three Civil Services aspirants — Shreya Yadav, 25, from Uttar Pradesh; Tanya Soni, 25, from Telangana; and Nevin Delvin, 24, from Kerala — who drowned when the basement of Rau’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar flooded following heavy rainfall on July 27, 2024.
On September 23, 2024, the trial court granted interim bail to Gupta and coaching coordinator Deshpal Singh, setting their bond at Rs 1 lakh each, with two sureties of the same amount.
However, it had additionally directed Gupta to deposit Rs 2.5 crore with the Red Cross Society by November 30, a condition now struck down by the high court.
