Abhishek Kasliwal gets bail in rape case

Mumbai, Apr 18 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today granted bail to Shreeram Mills' scion Abhishek Kasliwal in the case of allegedly raping and assaulting a 52-year-old woman.

Abhishek was arrested on March 12 for allegedly raping the woman in his Mercedes car, in the Shreeram Mills premises in Worli area during the early hours that very day. He had picked up the victim from a bus stop in Colaba area of South Mumbai, under the pretext of offering her lift.

Justice V M Kanade, while granting bail to Kasliwal, directed him to furnish a surety of Rs 50,000 and not to leave the country without the permission of the court. He has also been asked to be away from Mumbai and Maharashtra, till the conclusion of the trial at the sessions court here.

The court, however, permitted him to reside in Delhi, as requested by his counsel, with a direction to report his presence at the local police station them every evening for four week.

The HC also directed that Kasliwal, along with his parents, should not make any attempt to tamper with the evidence available against him.

While granting him bail, the court also directed the State Government to provide adequate security to the victim and also prepare a plan for her welfare.

Meanwhile, the court today pronounced only the operative part of the judgement, as the court time was over. The court will again deliver a detailed order tomorrow.

However, strongly opposing the bail plea, Chief Public Prosecutor Satish Borulkar alongwith lawyer Rajshri Gadvi, told the court that the accused's earlier bail plea was rejected by the sessions court on March 28 on the ground that his release could influence the witness and hamper the ongoing investigation.

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