Indian top court enraged at posters welcoming alleged rapist: ‘What are you celebrating?’

Accused was granted bail by the high court in November

(FILE) India’s supreme court took note of banners welcome a rape accused (AFP via Getty Images)

India’s Supreme Court on Monday berated banners that welcomed the release on bail of a man accused of rape in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

A three-judge bench of the top court was hearing a plea filed by a woman against the bail granted in November last year by the state’s high court to Shubhang Gontia, who she accused of rape.

Indian media reports said Mr Gontia is a leader of the Akhil Bharatiya (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is the ideological parent organisation of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP).

Chief justice of India NV Ramana asked during the hearing on Monday: “There’s a hoarding, what is this Bhaiya (brother) Back? On what occasion you put the hoarding?”

“What are you celebrating after the bail? This says there was a hoarding which says ‘bhaiya is back’. What is this hoarding about,” Justice Hima Kohli was quoted as saying on Monday by news portal LiveLaw.

The judges were referring to posters that read “Bhaiya is Back” (brother is back) that were reportedly put up during a local body election.

The information about the posters was part of the woman’s petition against the bail granted to the accused.

During the hearing, the woman’s lawyer said the accused was granted bail by the high court after only 45 days of custody. The counsel added that the court had not considered the seriousness of the case while granting bail.

The woman’s lawyer said the accused had allegedly performed Hindu wedding rituals, including applying vermillion on the woman’s forehead and giving her a sacred necklace, but later refused to acknowledge her in public.

In her petition challenging the bail order, the woman alleged that she was forced to undergo an abortion when she got pregnant.

She had lodged a case at the Jabalpur police station but the accused had fled as soon as the case was registered in June 2021. The case is listed for hearing again on 18 April.