New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to Mumbai-based TV anchor Varun Hiremath in a case, where he has been accused of raping a 22-year-old woman in a posh Delhi hotel in February this year.
A single-judge bench of Justice Mukta Gupta passed the order granting anticipatory bail to Hiremath after it had reserved the same on April 19.
However, during the hearing, the court refused to upload the order on the website on account of it containing statements recorded under section 164 CrPC, that is before a magistrate.
The hearing in the matter too was conducted as an in-camera proceeding after the counsel for the victim requested the judge to do so.
The court noted that considering the facts and legal positions in the case, in the event of arrest, Hiremath should be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs. 50,000 with one surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the arresting officer.
It noted that its observations on the "absence of consent" and whether the accused was aware of the lack of consent are not gospel and these aspects are for a trial to examine.
Hiremath was also directed not to leave the country without the permission of the court and not to interfere with the investigation or tamper with the evidence. Absconding since February 23, the newsman was found to be living in Goa after the case was filed against him.
Hiremath's pre-arrest bail plea was first rejected by a lower court after which he appealed the decision in the high court.
But even as the high court was taking its time to pronounce the order on the plea, the victim on May 12 wrote to Supreme Court CJI NV Ramana, expressing her "great disappointment" at her "continuing trauma". She urged the top court to take suo-motu cognizance of her case and said she was also contemplating suicide.