Bail extended of accused in Indu Auto case

Bail extended of accused in Indu Auto case
Express News Service

MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 7: Principal Sessions Judge A S Aguiar today extended until November 14, 2000 the anticipatory bail of one of the two students accused in the death of Indu Anto after her mysterious fall from the terrace of Sophia College hostel building in August 1998.

In a related development the Bombay High Court has granted the State Crime Investigation Department (CID) further time to investigate and submit its report. The division bench of Justice G D Patil and Justice A M Khanvilkar on Monday adjourned by six weeks the hearing in a petition filed by Indu's father C L Anto. Public Prosecutor Vijaya Kapase Tahilramani told the court that police had filed a First Information Report, and need to interrogate the accused and sought further time for investigation. In May this year, the Bombay High Court in response to Anto's petition directed a fresh CID probe.

The bench had posted the matter to November 7. The bench also yesterday significantly dismissed a petition filed by the college seeking to restrain the CID from arresting two accused students. When the court reopened on Monday after vacations, the college mentioned the matter before the bench.

On October 20, the State CID registered a FIR at the Gamdevi Police Station against Indu's two fellow hostelites. While one was arrested on October 24 and released on anticipatory bail by the Sessions Court until November 7, the other was granted an interim bail by a night magistrate until November 8. The FIR while naming the two as accused for abetment of suicide charged them further with mentally harassing Indu, inflicting injuries on her and driving her to commit suicide. Anto in his petition said it was a case of murder after continuous torture in her hostel premises. The police had closed the case dismissing it as suicide.