Flight attendant death: Delhi High Court extends anticipatory bail of in-laws

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday extended till September 17 the interim protection from arrest to the in-laws of a flight attendant, who had allegedly committed suicide in the national capital in July.

While extending the relief, Justice Mukta Gupta asked the Crime Branch, which has taken over the investigation in the case, to file a status report in three weeks. 

The court listed the matter for further hearing on September 17.  Advocate Ishkaran Singh Bhandari, appearing for the victim's parents, said they welcomed the transfer of the probe in the case to the Crime Branch of Delhi Police. 

The court was hearing the plea for anticipatory bail by Sushma Singhvi and R S Singhvi, parents of Mayank Singhvi, who is in judicial custody in the death case of his wife Anissia Batra (39). 

A trial court had on July 20 refused to grant protection from arrest to Mayank's parents after the lawyer for the woman's parents submitted that the allegations against them were serious. 

Anissia, who was working with a German airline, had allegedly jumped from the terrace of her house in Panchsheel Park in South Delhi on July 13 and Mayank had taken her to a nearby hospital, where she was declared brought dead by doctors. 

Her family has alleged that her husband used to physically abuse her and often demand money. The family has claimed before the trial court that it was not a suicide, but murder. 

On the other hand, Mayank's parents sought anticipatory bail claiming they had no role in the matter and any dispute between their son and daughter-in-law was their internal matter. 

Mayank, who was married to Anissia for over two years, was arrested on July 16. Before jumping off the terrace, she had sent a message to her husband that she would kill herself, police had said earlier.

The husband, a software engineer in Gurgaon, had told the police that they had regular fights due to "compatibility issues". They had an argument on the day of the incident as well, following which she jumped from the terrace, police had said. 

The victim's family had also given a complaint to police on June 27, saying that if anything happens to their daughter, Mayank would be responsible, police had said.