RAU’s IAS Study Circle Deaths: Rouse Avenue Court Reserves Order On Bail Plea Of CEO Abhishek Gupta

Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Monday reserved its order on the regular bail plea of RAU’s IAS Study Circle CEO Abhishek Gupta and Coordinator Deshpal Singh.

The case pertains to the tragic deaths of three UPSC aspirants in the basement of RAU’s IAS Study Circle in Old Rajender Nagar in July 2024.

During the hearing, Gupta’s counsel stated that they were willing to contribute Rs 25 lakh voluntarily to the Delhi Legal Services Authority. However, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed the bail pleas of both accused.

Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna reserved the order after hearing arguments from the defense, the CBI, and the complainant’s counsel. The court is set to pronounce its decision today.

Senior advocate Rebecca John, representing Abhishek Gupta, presented an order from the Delhi High Court, noting that the financial condition of Rs 2.5 crore had been set aside. She further contended that the investigation had been completed and that the CBI had already filed a charge sheet. Gupta has been on interim bail since September 23, 2024.

On the contrary, the senior public prosecutor for the CBI strongly opposed the bail application, asserting that granting bail in such cases would set a negative precedent. Advocate Abhijit Anand, representing complainant Delvin Suresh, also objected to the bail plea, alleging corruption in the case.

Anand argued that further investigation was still underway and referenced a Supreme Court judgment stating that bail should not be granted if an economic offense investigation is ongoing. He emphasized that corruption qualifies as an economic offense, which warrants stricter scrutiny.

Additionally, Anand pointed out that the building was not approved for educational purposes and that the Fire NOC was allegedly obtained through corrupt means. He stressed that these factors should weigh against granting bail.

Notably, the Delhi High Court has already granted regular bail to four co-owners of the building involved in the case.

The court’s decision on the bail applications of Gupta and Singh is now eagerly awaited.

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