India / Lord Krishna was born in jail today, you want bail? CJI to convict on Janmashtami

New Delhi: The hearing of a bail plea before the Supreme Court on Tuesday witnessed some lighter moments with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), SA Bobde, citing that the petitioner was seeking permission to leave jail on the day of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, the day Lord Krishna was believed to have been born inside a jail.

The court was hearing a plea by one Dharmendra Valvi, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.

“You want bail or jail? Today Lord Krishna was born in jail. Do you want to leave jail?” CJI Bobde asked the petitioner’s counsel in jest. The counsel replied in the affirmative.

“Good. Religion is not something you are extremely attached to,” the CJI remarked before granting bail.

Sri Krishna Janmashtami is an annual Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Krishna is believed to have been born in a prison cell in Mathura where his parents, Devaki and Vasudeva, were imprisoned by his uncle Kansa.

Dharmendra Valvi, a Congress I party member, and five other party workers, were accused of murdering a political opponent from the BJP in 1994. They were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court and the same was upheld by the Bombay high court in September 2017.

The appeal against the high court verdict is pending before the Supreme Court.

“During the pendency of the main appeal, the appellant, Dharmendra Valvi is directed to be released on bail on furnishing bail bonds in the sum of Rs 25,000 with two sureties of the like amount,” the top court ordered.