On August 11, 2020, CJI Mr. Sharad Arvind Bobde in a hearing of a Bail plea before the Supreme Court asked the convict why does he want a bail on the occasion of Janmashtami, while Lord Krishna is believed to born inside a jail on this day? The Supreme Court was hearing a case of Dharmendra Valvi, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for committing a murder.
“You want Bail? Today Lord Krishna was born in a Jail. Do you really want to leave the Jail?” CJI S.A. Bobde asked the petitioner’s lawyer sardonically. He added that “It is quite ironic that you are here for bail and Lord Krishna was born in the Jail today.”
The petitioner’s lawyer answered affirmatively. In reply, CJI said that ‘it is good that you are not extremely attached to any religion, and the Bail is granted.’
He (Dharmendra Valvi) is a Congress Party leader and other 5 party workers were accused of murdering another political leader from Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) in 1994. All the 6 accused were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Sessions Court and the Judgment was upheld by the Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court in 2017. Then, the accused made an appeal in the Supreme Court for the same, and since then the case is being pending in the Supreme Court, and on August 11, 2020, Dharmendra Valvi was granted Bail by the current CJI S.A. Bobde.
While granting the bail, the Supreme Court directed that “During the pendency of the main appeal, the appellant, Dharmendra Valvi is directed to be released on bail on furnishing bail bonds in the sum of Rs 25,000 with two sureties of the like amount.”
Dharmendra Valvi and other 5 were accused No.1 was prosecuted for the offense punishable under Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and second accused to 13 were prosecuted for the offenses punishable under Sections 147, 148, 302 with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code; Section 307 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code; Section 324 read with Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code and under Section 3 read with 25 of the Arms Act, 1959 as well as under Section 37(1)(3), punishable under Section 135 of the Bombay Police Act. One accused was also prosecuted for the offense punishable under Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code which amounts to hiding of the dead body with an intension that the person will escape from the murder charges. For general information, a crime under Section 201 of IPC, 1860 is a bailable offense.
CJI was impressed by the convict when he denied the option to remain in the Jail in the name of God. This way, CJI has again proved his unique sense of humor at the Supreme Court. Earlier, the pictures of the CJI went viral when he rode a Black Harley Davidson in Nagpur City.
