Hate app case: Mayank, Shweta sent to judicial custody; court to hear bail pleas on Monday

Shweta will be kept in safe custody of police until her test report on Covid-19 is received. She will be sent to jail if she tests negative.

Rawat tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday morning and was sent to Kalina quarantine centre in Mumbai. The first accused, Vishal Kumar Jha, 21, had also tested positive for coronavirus a few days ago and is kept at the same quarantine facility.

During arguments, the cyber police told the court that on learning that an FIR had been registered the main accused and creator of the hate app, Niraj Bishnoi, had alerted Jha to delete technical evidence that could be used to trace them. Police said further custody is required to question the accused in this connection.

Singh’s lawyer, N Das, told the court that she was allegedly slapped by someone in cyber police during questioning. Magistrate Komalsingh Rajput noted down the allegation in the order and also asked Singh whether she is feeling any pain or has any injury, to which she replied in the negative and said that she just has a headache.

The magistrate sent both Singh and Rawat to judicial custody, noting that no new grounds were put forth by cyber police for further custody.

Lawyers of the two accused subsequently moved court for bail. “As the investigating officer has also tested positive for Covid-19 along with two accused, it was mutually decided that all the bail pleas will be heard on Monday,” said Sandeep Sherkhane, lawyer for Rawat.