Bombay High Court Grants Pre-Arrest Bail to Woman in Road Rage Case Citing Childbirth

The Bombay High Court has granted pre-arrest bail to Anam Ansari, who is accused along with her husband of killing a biker during a road rage incident in March in Mumbai’s Vakola area. The court considered her recent childbirth and stated that her custodial interrogation was unnecessary.

The incident took place two months ago when Anam, then 30 weeks pregnant, and her husband Ahmed Ansari allegedly got into a heated altercation with Omprakash Sharma, a biker who had suddenly stopped his vehicle in front of theirs. According to police, Anam assaulted Sharma using her slipper, helmet, and hands, while her husband struck him with a concrete paver block. Sharma succumbed to his injuries days later in a hospital.

Ahmed Ansari was arrested and remains in judicial custody. Anam, meanwhile, had moved the High Court for anticipatory bail after her plea was rejected by a sessions court in April. Her lawyer, Shekhar Singh, argued that she recently delivered a baby and the newborn is just 25 days old, emphasizing her need for bail.

While the prosecution opposed the plea, pointing out that the slipper and helmet used in the assault were yet to be recovered, the High Court observed that Anam had not absconded after the incident and had no prior criminal record.

Justice Ashwin Bhobe, presiding over the vacation bench, stated that her custodial interrogation was not necessary, particularly to recover the remaining items. The court highlighted the seriousness of the offence, but weighed it against her recent delivery and clean background while granting her relief.