The Supreme Court has granted bail to Ashok Kumar Soni in a Chhattisgarh cheating, forgery and criminal-breach-of-trust case.
Soni had spent more than a year in custody. All co-accused had already received bail, while the prosecution proposed to examine more than 100 witnesses, making an early conclusion of the trial unlikely.
The Court also recorded that Soni relied on medical grounds. The State did not dispute his condition, although it said treatment was being provided in custody.
Taking parity, detention, health and prospective trial delay together, the Court set aside the High Court’s refusal of bail. Release remains subject to conditions fixed by the trial court. The order shows that the cumulative effect of several safeguards may justify liberty even where no single factor would necessarily be decisive.