SC makes absolute it’s order granting interim anticipatory bail to Youth Congress president in harassment case

A bench of Justices BR Gavai, Aravind Kumar, and Prashant Kumar Mishra made its earlier order 'absolute' of granting interim anticipatory bail to Srinivas after being apprised that he had cooperated with the investigation.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday made ‘absolute’ its earlier order granting interim anticipatory bail to the Indian Youth Congress president Srinivas BV, in an alleged harassment case filed against him.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai, Aravind Kumar, and Prashant Kumar Mishra made its earlier order ‘absolute’ of granting interim anticipatory bail to Srinivas after being apprised that he had cooperated with the investigation.

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On May 17, the top court had granted him interim anticipatory bail.

“By order dated May 17, we had granted ad-interim bail. The Additional Advocate General of the State of Assam vehemently opposes the anticipatory bail application. However, taking into consideration that the petitioner has cooperated with the investigation, we are entitled to allow the application and the earlier order is made absolute,” the bench ordered.

Srinivas has challenged a Gauhati High Court order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea in an alleged harassment case filed against him.

The apex court had granted interim anticipatory bail to Srinivas several times.

Srinivas challenged the Gauhati High Court order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea.

On May 5, the Gauhati High Court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Srinivas in a case lodged by a former colleague and the ex-president of Assam Youth Congress accusing him of causing mental agony to her.

High Court had also refused to quash the FIR.

In her complaint, the woman alleged that Srinivas persistently harassed her mentally by way of sexist remarks and slang words.

On her complaint, an FIR was registered booking Srinivas under Sections 352 (assault or criminal force), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 354A (1)(iv) (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code.

The woman had claimed that Srinivas had heckled her, held her arm, pushed and pulled her and used slang words during the party’s recent plenary session in Raipur. He had also threatened to ruin her career in the party if she complained against him, she alleged.

The alleged offence had occurred in Raipur in Chhattisgarh which was beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the Dispur police station, where the case was filed and Assam police had no jurisdiction to investigate or register an FIR for an offence that allegedly took place in Chhattisgarh, Srinivas said.

The Congress had issued show cause notice to the woman and later expelled her from the primary membership of the party for six years for anti-party activities.