SC declines to interfere with HC’s rejection of bail to trainer

Panaji: Supreme Court has declined to interfere with the order passed by Bombay high court that rejected bail to celebrity fitness trainer, Gaurav Bidre. It directed the trial court to expedite the trial.

Bidre, who was arrested in connection with the murder of a govt college professor, Gauri Achari, went to SC challenging HC’s Jan 2026 order which rejected bail to him.

“Considering the nature of accusation against the petitioner, and for the fact that the trial is in progress, we are not inclined to entertain this special leave petition. However, the trial court is directed to expedite the trial,” stated Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N V Anjaria.

SC added that Bidre may renew his plea for bail before the trial court if the trial is unnecessarily delayed.

In Bidre’s fourth bail application filed in the HC, which was rejected in Jan, his lawyer told the court that the delay in conducting the trial infringed his fundamental right to a speedy trial and that he therefore deserved to be released on bail. He further submitted that if the trial is likely to take a long time to conclude, he must be released on bail.

HC, however, observed that the trial had commenced and there was a trial schedule fixed. It directed the trial court to adhere to the trial programme.

HC also observed that sufficient and proper opportunity is required to be given to the trial court to conduct the trial fairly, and added that fetters cannot be put on it to hasten up just to conclude the trial, as this could be detrimental both to the prosecution and defence. HC also observed that the offence with which Bidre was charged was serious, and that adequate opportunity therefore needed to be given to the trial court to conduct the trial properly.

“It cannot be said that there is an absolute rule that because there is a long period of incarceration, bail must necessarily be granted, especially in a serious offence like the present one with which the applicant has been charged,” HC had held.