In a significant decision balancing criminal liability and societal interest, the Uttarakhand High Court has stayed the conviction and five-year rigorous imprisonment of vaccine scientist Akash Yadav, who was found guilty of abetting the suicide of his wife.
Justice Ravindra Maithani, presiding over the single-judge bench, observed that suspending Yadav’s conviction was warranted in the “larger public interest,” noting that his contributions to vaccine research held critical importance for society.
Yadav, a PhD holder in biotechnology from IIT Kharagpur, is currently employed as a senior manager at Indian Immunologicals Ltd., one of India’s leading vaccine manufacturers. He has been directly involved in vaccine research and development, a fact that weighed heavily in the court’s decision.
The scientist was initially charged under the Dowry Prohibition Act and in connection with his wife’s death. While the trial court in Rudrapur acquitted him of all dowry-related offences, it convicted him for abetment of suicide and sentenced him to five years of rigorous imprisonment.
Following this, the High Court had earlier granted him bail and stayed the execution of the sentence pending appeal. Yadav later moved the court seeking a stay on the conviction itself, arguing that the conviction was obstructing his work in a field vital to public health.
The High Court, referencing various legal precedents, concluded that suspending both the conviction and sentence until the final disposal of the appeal was justified.
“This Court finds it appropriate to stay the conviction as well, keeping in view the nature of his work and its undeniable impact on public welfare,” the bench noted.
The stay allows Yadav to continue his role in the development of critical vaccines, a decision the court underscored as being not just about individual liberty but also about greater societal good.
