HC grants bail to MS Reddy, raps lower court

Nagpur: Terming the Achalpur sessions court decision rejecting the bail application of suspended APCCF MS Reddy in RFO Deepali Chavan suicide case as misplaced, justice Manish Pitale at the high court here on Tuesday granted interim bail to the senior forest official.
In its bail order the court noted the only person named as an accused on March 26, 2021 was suspended deputy conservator of forest (DyCF) Vinod Shivkumar. It also said that allegations of harassment are against accused Shivkumar in all three letters by deceased RFO Chavan.
Although there is a reference to the name of Reddy in these letters, it is more in the nature of the officer not being able to help the deceased in the backdrop of the harassment she allegedly suffered at the hands of Shivkumar, the judge observed.
“It prima facie appears the emphasis placed by the sessions court in its order rejecting bail application of the applicant on the alleged omission on the part of the applicant in the context of Section 107 of the IPC appears to be misplaced,” the high court said.
The high court asked Reddy to furnish a bond of Rs 50,000 and also asked him to report to Sadar police station between 10 am and 12 noon every Monday during the pendency of the application. He has been asked to surrender his passport to the police.
On May 7, justices Pushpa Ganediwala and AS Chandurkar had restrained the police from filing charge sheet against Reddy.