Jaipur: The Supreme Court Tuesday granted bail to Manju Bishnoi, a trainee sub-inspector accused of using a dummy candidate to clear the 2021 SI recruitment exam.The decision came from a bench comprising Justice Manoj Misra and Justice N Nageswara Rao, who considered the prolonged nature of the trial and the circumstances surrounding her detention.Bishnoi’s lawyer, Vedant Sharma, told the court that she was behind bars since April 3, 2024, and that charges are yet to be formally framed. The case involves 110 accused, over 400 documents, and 122 witnesses, suggesting that the trial may take a long time to conclude. The court agreed that continued incarceration under these conditions was not justified.Bishnoi was arrested by the special investigation team which found she arranged for a woman to impersonate her in the exam. The investigation also revealed that the dummy candidate appeared in place of Bishnoi’s sister, Santosh Bishnoi, who is also in jail. The SIT report stated that five women trainee sub-inspectors — Manju, Santosh, Bhagwati Bishnoi, Indubala and Harku — used dummy candidates to pass the exam. Bhagwati was already granted bail.This Supreme Court decision came after the Rajasthan High Court earlier rejected Bishnoi’s bail plea on May 12. The apex court noted that she is a woman, has been in custody for over a year, and that the chargesheet was filed. With multiple accused and a lengthy trial ahead, the court found it reasonable to allow her bail. The high court’s order was set aside, and the Supreme Court directed that Bishnoi be released on bail, subject to conditions decided by the trial court.
