HC grants bail to man accused of assaulting 2 women doctors

The Delhi high Court Wednesday granted bail to a man, accused of assaulting two women doctors of Safdarjung Hospital for allegedly not following social distancing norms amid coronavirus pandemic, and observed that he should have been respectful towards them rather than abusing and threatening them.

Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar, who conducted the hearing through video conferencing, granted relief to the man, who was in jail since April 10, saying no useful purpose would be served by keeping him in custody and overcrowding Tihar Jail.

The country is passing through a very difficult phase and the doctors are rendering yeomen service to the nation. The petitioner being an educated man, as stated by the counsel for the petitioner that he is an interior designer by profession, should have been respectful to the doctors rather than abusing and threatening them, the court observed.

The court noted that accused Sanjeev Sharma was suffering from diabetes and he was earlier allowed by the trial court to carry two medicines in jail for his medical condition.

It granted bail to him on furnishing of a personal bond of Rs 20,000 and a surety of the like amount.

According to the police, the incident took place on April 9, when the two women were allegedly abused and assaulted in Gautam Nagar area near AIIMS by the 42-year-old man, who alleged they were spreading coronavirus and were not maintaining social distancing.

An FIR was lodged at Hauz Khas police station for the alleged offences of causing hurt, molestation, criminal intimidation, wrongful restraint and insulting the modesty of a woman by uttering objectionable words under the IPC.

The prosecution opposed the bail plea saying the allegations against the man were grave and serious in nature and instead of being thankful to the doctors, he attacked and molested them.

The man sought bail saying he was only concerned about social distancing being maintained between people looking into the threats of coronavirus and claimed that he was falsely implicated.

He further said that they became aggressive and told him that they were doctors and knew the meaning of social distancing.