Case of mob lynching too serious to merit consideration of

A local court today refused to grant bail to a 19-year-old man accused of being part of the mob that allegedly lynched a woman, saying that such cases are "too serious to merit any consideration of bail".

Shanta Devi, a beggar, was lynched on June 26 on the suspicion of being a child lifter. The incident took place at Juna Vadaj locality when she was travelling in an autorikshaw.

The police had arrested Hasmukh Solanki on July 2, after the CCTV footage of the incident purportedly showed him to be the part of the lynch mob.

However, Solanki had moved the court seeking bail, saying he was being falsely implicated. He said he was a resident of the area where the incident took place.

The accused said he was a vegetable vendor and his antecedents were clean, therefore he should be granted bail.

The prosecution, however, opposed his application saying that granting bail to him would send a wrong signal to the society, as the CCTV footage and video that went viral shows the accused to be a part of the mob.

Ahmedabad city sessions court judge Suchit Dave today denied bail to him, saying no case for grant of bail was made out.

"The woman who died was a beggar, yet a human being. Her poverty does not denigrate her human dignity and right to live even an ounce to that of the richest man in the city. The case of mob lynching is too serious to merit any consideration of bail," the court said.