A 49-year-old woman was recently denied anticipatory bail in a case where she was booked for biting and spitting at police constables who had arrived at the spot to intervene in a dispute between her family and another.
The court said in its order that her act of not only biting the informant, a woman constable, but also spitting on another constable who came to save the former from her attack, shows the “utter disrespect” for the police force who are for the safety of the people. It said further that she dared to fight against them when her own daughter had called the police by dialling the control room.
Additional Sessions Judge DD Khocche said that causing assault to the public officers when they are discharging their duty is a serious thing and she prima-facie became “violent” to attack on them.
The woman Sangeta Gupta and her family were engaged in a dispute with another family and her daughter had called the police. The police arrived on the spot responding to the call. The Gupta family felt that the police were siding with the other family and the woman asked her son to record the conduct of the woman police Yojana Meher. Meher tried to stop him from doing so and then Gupta bit Meher severely on her hand thrice. A male constable who had also arrived at the spot tried to save Meher from Gupta’s clutches and she then spat at him. Thereafter, offences under provisions of the IPC pertaining to criminal intimidation and assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging duty, among other charges were lodged against her son and her.
Gupta had claimed pre-arrest bail stating that the incident was sudden and she was not at fault. Her advocate had told the court further that there is nothing to be seized from her and hence custodial interrogation was not required. Her son had been arrested and then granted bail. She had also claimed parity with him as one of the grounds seeking anticipatory bail. The court, however, said that there is a difference in granting regular bail and anticipatory bail.
