'Playing With Lives Of General Public': Delhi High Court Denies Bail To Man Booked For Metro Cable Theft

The Delhi High Court has denied bail to a man accused of stealing high-voltage cables from Delhi Metro infrastructure, observing that such acts amount to “playing with the lives of the general public” and have serious implications for public safety.

Justice Saurabh Banerjee was hearing the bail application filed by the accused, who is booked under provisions of the Delhi Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act and other penal laws in connection with the theft of 33 kV power cables used for Metro operations.

Rejecting the plea, the High Court noted that the alleged offence was not a routine theft but one that directly endangered the safety of commuters and disrupted essential public infrastructure.

“The offence alleged to have been committed by the applicant herein has multifarious effects on the Society at large, more so, since the applicant has put the life and limb of one and all in utter danger. As the applicant is not guilty of some foolhardy antics, he has no doubt caused immense loss(es) to the public exchequer. All of the above cannot not be ignored.”

The Court also took into account the criminal antecedents of the accused, noting that he was allegedly involved in multiple cases. “The applicant is a not a fly by night operator but a habitual offender who has since been active with the very same offences in the recent past,” it noted.

Thus holding that public interest outweighed the claim to personal liberty in the facts of the case, the Court dismissed the bail plea.

Appearance: Mr. Mohd. Suza Faisal, Adv. for Petitioner; Mr. Satish Kumar, APP with Ms. Upasna Bakshi, Adv. SI-Pritam Singh and ASI-Sant Kumar for Respondent

Case title: Shivam v. State

Case no.: BAIL APPLN. 4367/2025

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