Supreme Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to Software Firm Owner in Sexual Harassment Case
The Supreme Court of India has granted anticipatory bail to Venu Gopalakrishnan, the owner of a Kochi-based software firm, who is accused of sexually harassing an employee and attempting to frame her and her husband in a criminal case. A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan allowed the appeal, setting aside the Kerala High Court's previous order that had rejected his bail petition. The court directed Gopalakrishnan to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation and imposed strict conditions, including furnishing a cash security of ₹1 lakh with two sureties. He is prohibited from influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence, with any violation leading to the cancellation of bail. The case originated in July when the victim and her husband were arrested on allegations of honey-trapping the accused. After securing bail, the victim claimed false implication, prompting a police probe that resulted in fresh charges against Gopalakrishnan and three employees for sexual harassment, outraging modesty, and criminal intimidation. The Supreme Court emphasized that its observations would not prejudice the final trial proceedings.
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Supreme Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to Software Firm Owner in Sexual Harassment Case
The Supreme Court of India has granted anticipatory bail to Venu Gopalakrishnan, the owner of a Kochi-based software firm, who is accused of sexually harassing an employee and attempting to frame her and her husband in a criminal case. A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan allowed the appeal, setting aside the Kerala High Court's previous order that had rejected his bail petition. The court directed Gopalakrishnan to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation and imposed strict conditions, including furnishing a cash security of ₹1 lakh with two sureties. He is prohibited from influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence, with any violation leading to the cancellation of bail. The case originated in July when the victim and her husband were arrested on allegations of honey-trapping the accused. After securing bail, the victim claimed false implication, prompting a police probe that resulted in fresh charges against Gopalakrishnan and three employees for sexual harassment, outraging modesty, and criminal intimidation. The Supreme Court emphasized that its observations would not prejudice the final trial proceedings.
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