Delhi HC Grants Bail to Air Hostess Anissia Batra’s In-Laws

Mayank Singhvi, arrested on 16 July, remains in judicial custody, even though his parents have been granted bail.

Anissia Batra, a 39 year old air hostess with a German airline, had been married to Mayank Singhvi since 2016. She died on 13 July after allegedly jumping from the fourth floor of her marital house.

(Photo Courtesy: Justice For Anissia/Facebook)

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday, 20 November, granted bail to RS Singhvi and Sushma Singhvi, parents-in-law of flight attended Anissia Batra who had allegedly jumped to her death in July.

The couple had moved the High Court after their bail plea was rejected by the trial court.

RS Singhvi and Sushma Singhvi had surrendered on 1 November. On 2 November, senior lawyers AM Singhvi and Siddharth Luthra appearing for the couple, had asked for an interim relief.

The counsel had requested that the couple be allowed to be with their family on the occasion of Diwali, following which they would surrender. According to PTI, the counsel had also said that the couple was elderly and Sushma Singhvi was to undergo a breast cancer surgery in January 2019.

The High Court had, however, said that "there is something called seriousness of the offence" and denied interim relief. Now, however, they have been granted bail subject to their furnishing of a Rs 50,000 bond, reported PTI.

Anissia Batra, a 39 year old air hostess with a German airline, had been married to Mayank Singhvi since 2016. She died on 13 July after allegedly jumping from the fourth floor of her marital house.

Her family and friends have long suspected foul play in her death.

Mayank Singhvi has been charged with Sections 304B (dowry death), 498A (cruelty by husband or a relative of the husband) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and supplementary charges have been framed against his parents.

Mayank Singhvi was arrested on 16 July and remains in judicial custody, even though his parents have been granted bail.

Speaking to The Quint, Anissia's brother Karan Batra had said:

“It is still a fight for my family and me. My parents are over 70 years old and they have been constantly commuting from Chandigarh (their hometown) to Delhi and back since July. I was settled in a different city and have had to shift base to Delhi. I am constantly doing the rounds of the court and trying to ensure that my sister gets justice. Our lives have completely come to a stand-still.”

In a message to The Quint, Anissia's mother Nillum Batra had said, "We, the family, have lived in deep pain these past three-and-a-half months and I do not see this pain going away in our lifetime.

Mayank Singhvi reportedly told the police that Anissia and he had regular fights because of “compatibility issues”. There had even been an argument on the day Anissia allegedly killed herself.

On 27 June – few days before Anissia's death – her father Maj Gen RS Batra (Retd) had filed a complaint with the police alleging that Singhvi and his parents were torturing Anissia, and that they should be held responsible if she faces any physical harm.

(With PTI inputs.)