Nagpur, India: Ritika Maloo, the prime accused in the Ram Jhula hit-and-run case, has been granted bail by a local court on Tuesday. This comes after the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) failed to file the chargesheet within 60 days after her arrest.

The accident occurred on the morning of February 25, when Maloo, reportedly drunk, crashed her Mercedes into an Activa scooter, killing two young men, Mohd Hussain Gulam Mustafa and Mohd Ateef Mohd Zia.

Maloo was arrested and later rearrested in September. She faced serious charges under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including culpable homicide not amounting to murder (Section 304), and was kept in custody.

On Tuesday, Maloo’s lawyer, Adv Chandrashekhar Jaltare, argued that she should be granted bail because the chargesheet was not filed within the mandatory 60-day period. The prosecution, however, argued that a 90-day period should apply due to the severity of the crime. However, the state CID's delay in submitting the chargesheet is questionable.

After reviewing the case, the court ruled in favour of Maloo, stating that the 60-day limit applied as there was no evidence of her intent to kill. Maloo was granted bail on personal and surety bonds of ₹50,000 each and must cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The court also directed the investigating officer to explain why the chargesheet wasn’t filed by November 26.

This development has highlighted delays in the investigation process, raising questions about how efficiently the case is being handled.