3 min readNew DelhiJan 6, 2026 05:31 PM IST
First published on: Jan 6, 2026 at 03:28 PM IST
Underlining the principle that an undertrial is innocent until proven guilty, the Meghalaya High Court has granted anticipatory bail to three men accused in a mob lynching case that led to one death in June 2025.
Justice W Diengdoh was hearing the anticipatory bail plea of three men accused of the mob lynching incident last year.
“Though the nature of the incident is serious and the fact that a person has lost his life due to the action of an enraged mob, nevertheless, it is also very important to maintain the well-settled and cardinal principle of bail jurisprudence that an accused person/under trial is said to be innocent until proven guilty,” the court observed.
While granting bail, the court also takes into consideration that in the same case, the other accused had been granted bail by this court.
Background
The case originates from a violent incident last year, when the victim was targeted by an enraged mob consisting of approximately 500 people.
Appearing for the state, the Additional Public Prosecutor S Sengupta and H Kharmih submitted that the investigating officer has already filed a charge sheet in which the three petitioners are named as accused persons.
The prosecution argued that this establishes a prima facie case against them.
However, the state did not offer a “strong objection” to the bail prayer, noting that other individuals involved in the case have already been released on bail depending on the “degree of their involvement”.
The petitioner’s counsel, advocate S A Sheikh, argued that the petitioners are innocent and have been falsely implicated in the case; in fact, they were not even present at the time when the incident had taken place.
He further submitted that since they were apprehensive of imminent arrest, they had approached the trial court, firstly, with for the grant of anticipatory bail, and on the same being rejected, are now before this Court with a similar prayer.
The counsel also said that, since some of the accused persons have been enlarged on bail, therefore, on grounds of parity, the petitioners should also be given the same privilege of being enlarged on bail in the event of their arrest.
Decision
The court said that the facts and circumstances in this case have remained constant, and the only difference is that, in the meantime, the charge sheet has been filed by the investigating officer.
“Be that as it may, the prayer of the petitioners in this petition is hereby allowed, and the interim bail granted is also made absolute,” the court ruled.
The court directed that in the event of their arrest, they are to be released on bail on the conditions that they shall not abscond or tamper with the evidence or witnesses, and they shall attend court as and when called for.
Meghalya Lynching Incident 2025 Case: Meghalaya High Court was hearing the anticipatory bail plea of an accused in mob lynching case. (Image generated using AI) 
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