Supreme Court Sets Aside Rajasthan HC's Bail To Son Of Congress MLA Johari Lal Meena In 2019 Rape Case

Congress MLA Johari Lal Meena's son Deepak Meena and two others were accused of gangraping a 15-year-old girl in Rajasthan's Dausa.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail granted to Congress MLA Johari Lal Meena’s son Deepak Meena and two other accused in connection with the gangrape of a 15-year-old girl in February 2021. A Bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar expressed their displeasure over the fact that the Rajasthan High Court got “swayed” by the delay in filing of the complaint and the lack of recovery of the alleged video of the act, as per a Bar and Bench report. The apex court also flagged that the accused had tried to influence the proceedings. 

"The fact that accused Deepak is the son of sitting MLA would disclose the domineering influence he would wield not only in delaying the proceedings but also in pressurising the witnesses to either resile from their statement given during the course of investigation, or pose a threat to them from deposing against accused on their failure to act according to his dictates, or induce them to testify as per his dictates or to help the defence of the accused," the Supreme court noted, as per the report. 

The court also noted that the accused had attempted to influence the legal proceedings of the case by threatening the prosecutrix and other witnesses booked in the case.

In May this year, the Supreme Court had sought response of the Rajasthan government on the appeal moved by the uncle of the victim against the High Court order that granted bail to the accused. 

A 15-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by three persons in Mandawar in Rajasthan’s Dausa district. An FIR was registered in connection with the case in March 2022, alleging gangrape, threat to make the video of crime viral, and extortion. 

In her statements, the minor had named the accused and submitted that they had taken photos and videos of the incident and threatened to upload them online if she approached the police, according to Bar and Bench. 

Deepak was arrested in January this year but the Rajasthan High Court granted him bail after noting that the time likely to be taken to complete the trial.