Nagpur: In the ongoing Ram Jhula accident case in Nagpur, where two youths were tragically killed, the primary accused, Ritika Maloo, has filed a bail plea before the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court. This move comes despite the State Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) active probe into the incident.
On October 23, the Sessions Court denied Maloo’s bail request, citing that the CID investigation is at a critical stage. The plea is expected to come up for review before the High Court’s holiday bench. According to reports, CID recently reassigned the case to a new investigating officer who began the probe just days ago. Sessions Court Judge RS Patil-Bhosale had noted that the CID officially began its investigation on September 26 after an urgent magistrate’s order reopened the court late in the evening to obtain Maloo’s custody.
The court highlighted that the prosecution faced significant delays in obtaining Maloo’s custody. Maloo, accused of running over two youths, Mohd Atif and Mohd Hussain Mustafa, on Nagpur’s Ram Jhula bridge on February 25 while allegedly under the influence of alcohol, initially faced bailable charges. However, following forensic confirmation of alcohol in her blood samples, the charges were escalated to non-bailable offenses. The case, originally filed with Tehsil Police, was later transferred to the CID by order of the High Court for a thorough and expedited investigation, with weekly reviews mandated by a senior official of at least Deputy Superintendent rank.
Maloo is currently lodged at Nagpur Central Jail following the Sessions Court’s recent bail denial, which cited community safety and the interests of the victims’ families as significant factors. The court recognized the tragic loss suffered by the families of Atif and Mustafa, both described as “earning hands and the future of their families.” Additionally, the court mentioned Sachin Yadav and others who allegedly assisted Maloo and her co-passenger Madhuri Sarda at the accident scene. These individuals reportedly helped recover Maloo’s phone before she and Sarda fled the spot.
The order further implicates Sub-Inspector Bhawal of Tehsil Police Station, who allegedly allowed the accused to leave the scene, leading to her arrest only six hours later when Mayo Hospital doctors confirmed her intoxicated state. The Sessions Court expressed concerns that Maloo’s release could lead to potential evidence tampering, given the case’s history.
As the investigation unfolds, Maloo’s bail plea awaits the court’s decision, while the CID continues its inquiry into the incident that has captured public attention and raised calls for accountability.