Delhi court grants bail to couple accused of racist abuse of Northeast neighbours

New Delhi, Apr 14: A Delhi court granted regular bail to a married couple accused of hurling racial slurs at their neighbours from Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

Additional Sessions Judge Samar Vishal was hearing the bail plea of the accused, Harsh Priya Singh and Ruby Jain, who were produced before the court on Monday, following the expiry of the 30-day interim bail granted on March 11.

Counsel for the accused, advocates Abinash Kumar, BP Singh and Sumanta Barik, submitted that the couple had complied with all bail conditions laid down in the earlier order.

They informed the court that the accused had vacated their residence in Malviya Nagar, where the incident occurred, and shifted to a different locality, updating the investigating officer with their new address and contact details.

The defence also told the court that Ruby Jain is undergoing treatment for tuberculosis and has been under continuous medication, supported by hospital records.

Arguing for relief, the lawyers said the couple had suffered reputational damage due to the case.

They added that the accused had issued a public apology on social media and had also apologised to the victims in person in the presence of their landlord.

Opposing the bail plea, advocate Liyi Noshi, appearing for the prosecution, urged the court not to treat such instances of alleged racism lightly, stating that “a message must be sent”.

She told the court that one of the victims had returned to Manipur amid the ongoing ethnic violence in the state.

“It may not have caused physical injuries, but it harmed them in many other ways and led to a significant loss of future opportunities,” she said.

Noshi further submitted that the victims were forced to relocate at short notice due to intense media attention, causing financial strain as they were students with limited means.

PTI