The Delhi High Court has dismissed the bail application of Ashu Pal, who stands accused of murdering his wife in February 2019, subsequently dismembering her body and dumping the remains in a septic tank. The court, comprising Justice Girish Kathpalia, rejected the plea after considering the gravity of the offence and the manner in which it was committed.
According to the prosecution’s case, Pal walked into the police station on February 22, 2019, and confessed to having killed his wife, cut up her body, and disposed of the parts in a septic tank. During questioning, police received a PCR call from the deceased’s brother, who reported that his sister had been murdered and her body found in a septic tank. The brother’s complaint alleged that Pal and his family had subjected the woman to torture and made dowry demands after she gave birth to three daughters. It further stated that Pal had called the deceased’s mother in September 2019 to inform her that he had murdered his wife—a claim she initially dismissed but later corroborated when her son discovered blood stains and the body at Pal’s residence.
The defence argued that there were inconsistencies in the statements of the deceased’s mother and brother, maintained that Pal had never voluntarily gone to the police station to confess, and contended that the prolonged duration of his undertrial incarceration—six years at the time of the bail hearing—warranted grant of bail on the grounds of delay in trial.
The prosecution opposed the bail application, asserting that critical evidence, including the blood-stained weapon, the deceased’s clothing, and her jewellery, had been recovered and subjected to forensic examination. It further submitted that the trial was not proceeding unreasonably slowly and that the state was ready to proceed.
In delivering its decision, Justice Girish Kathpalia acknowledged that delay in trial is a relevant consideration for granting bail but emphasised that it is not the sole determining factor. The court observed: “Of course, delay in trial is a ground for grant of bail. But that is not the only ground. While considering grant or denial of bail, the court cannot shut its eyes to the gruesome manner in which a lady was killed followed by chopping off of her body and throwing her in the septic tank.”
After weighing the circumstances, including the brutality of the offence, the recovery of incriminating evidence, and the prosecution’s readiness to proceed, the court concluded that bail could not be granted. Justice Kathpalia stated: “Considering the above circumstances, I do not find it a fit case to grant bail to the accused/applicant. Therefore, the bail application is dismissed. Accompanying application also stands dismissed.”
The accused was represented by advocates Raghav Sharma and Vishvendra Singh, while the state appeared through Additional Public Prosecutor Sanjeev Sabharwal. The order was passed in the matter titled Anshu Pal v The State of NCT of Delhi.