Victims of crime cannot expect courts to be rijid

Madurai, Sep 13 (PTI) The Madras High Court bench herehas maintained that victims of crime cannot expect the courtsto be rigid regarding negligible deviations in complying withthe bail conditions. Justice P Devadoss gave the opinion recently dismissing apetition filed by a complainant in a woman harassment casechallenging the refusal of the lower court to cancel theanticipatory bail given to two accused in the case as theyfailed to appear before the Judicial Magistrate at thescheduled time as per bail conditions. "Victims of crime may keep an eye on the accused allthe time, but they can’t expect the courts also to be rigid"the judge said. The petitioner Jesintha Mary said that the accusedSelvaraj and Sebastiammal did not appear before the JudicialMagistrate at Thiruvadanai at 10 am as per the bail conditionon November four last year. Selvaraj and Seastammal submitted that there was delayto appear before the Judicial Magistrate on the particular dayas they had to go to the hospital for treatment. The also submitted that the petitioner had no locusstandi to seek the cancellation of the anticipatory bail andso the sessions judge who gave the conditional bail dismissedthe plea Jesintha Mary. However, on the question of locus standi, the judgesaid the petitioner had every right to seek the cancellationof the bail on the ground of violation of conditions imposedby the court as she was the victim of crime. PTI SSNRC