Dead NRI student's four friends get interim bail

A Delhi court Monday granted interim bail for 15 days to four friends of NRI student Anmol Sarna, who died after a drug party. All the four are facing drug abuse charges.

Additional Sessions Judge Rajender Kumar Shastri gave interim bail to Sarna's friends -- Madhav Bhandari, Pranil Shah, Shivank Gambhir and Rythm Girhotra, all in their 20s, till Oct 22.

Sarna's family members, however, protested the order and indulged in verbal duel with the relatives of the four, and said they would move a higher court for cancellation of the bail.

The four were granted bail on furnishing bonds of Rs.1 lakh each with a surety of same amount.

The court directed them to surrender their passports and also asked them not to leave the national capital without informing the court.

A magistrate earlier dismissed their applications saying the probe was at an initial stage and the allegations against them were serious.

Two security guards - Surender Bali, 40, and Naresh Mishra, 60 - who allegedly thrashed Sarna Sep 13 night at the South Park Apartments in Kalkaji area in south Delhi are lodged in the Tihar Jail till Oct 14.

Sarna, 21, who completed his high school from New York, was to go to Canada for further studies but died after a drug party organised at his friend's flat in Kalkaji on that night.

Police said the party lasted till midnight after which Sarna was thrashed by the guards for creating a ruckus in the complex. Around 2 a.m., Sarna was found bleeding in the apartment complex. He later died in hospital.

Investigators said the two guards were arrested for assaulting Sarna, while his four friends were taken into custody for drug abuse.

--Indo-Asian New Service

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