"Must Evaluate Seriousness Of Offence" For Granting Bail: Supreme Court To High Court

The Supreme Court made the observation while setting aside an Allahabad High Court order which granted bail to a man accused in a dowry death case.

A court has to evaluate the seriousness of an alleged offence while granting bail to an accused and order without reasons is fundamentally contrary to the norms which guide the judicial process, the Supreme Court has said. A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud made the observation while setting aside an Allahabad High Court order which granted bail to a man accused in a dowry death case. "The High Court cannot be oblivious, in a case such as the present, of the seriousness of the alleged offence, where a woman has met an unnatural end within a year of marriage. "The seriousness of the alleged offence has to be evaluated in the backdrop of the allegation that she was being harassed for dowry; and that a telephone call was received from the accused in close-proximity to the time of death, making a demand," the bench also comprising Justice MR Shah said.