Bombay HC Rejects Transit ABA To Pintos, Extends Protection Till Tomorrow On Condition Of Submission Of Passport [Read Order]

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected transit anticipatory bail applications filed by founding chairman of Ryan International School Augustine Pinto, his wife Grace Pinto and their son Ryan, in connection with the murder of 7-year-old Pradhyuman in Gurugram.

Appearing for the applicants, advocate Niteen Pradhan sought further protection from arrest for his clients who have already been under protection by way of interim relief from September 12. The applicants intend to move Supreme Court.

However, Justice AS Gadkari decided to extend the protection till 5 pm tomorrow (September 15) on the condition that the applicants submit their passports with the police on or before 9 pm today (September 14).

In the anticipatory bail application, Pintos argued that they could not be held responsible for the murder as they were also “victims of the unfortunate circumstances”.

Pradhyuman’s father Barun Chandra Thakur had filed an intervention application after the Pintos moved for ABA.

In his application, Thakur states that his son was dropped off at school and never came back, so how can the applicants claim that they are neither responsible nor liable for his son’s death.

Calling it a rarest of rare case, Thakur opposed the ABA strongly.

Justice Gadkari observed that even if this is a ‘rarest of rare’ case, the merits of the case cannot be decided in a transit ABA.