NANITAL, 4 AUG

The Uttarakhand High Court has stayed the conviction and five-year rigorous imprisonment of a vaccine scientist who was found guilty of abetting his wife's suicide.

Granting relief to the scientist, Akash Yadav, who has done a PhD in biotechnology from IIT Kharagpur, the single bench of Justice Ravindra Maithani said suspending his conviction was in the larger public interest.

The court observed that the convict was a scientist actively engaged in vaccine research and development, and due to his conviction, he was unable to perform his duties.

It also said that the scientist's research holds critical value for society at large.

Yadav was booked under the Dowry Prohibition Act and the dowry death of his wife.

He was later acquitted of the dowry-related charges by a trial court in Rudrapur, but was convicted for abetment of his wife's suicide and sentenced to five years' rigorous imprisonment.

Earlier, the high court granted him bail and stayed the execution of the sentence during the pendency of the appeal.

Subsequently, Yadav filed an appeal seeking a stay on the conviction, arguing that he needed to continue his vital work in vaccine development.

Based on several legal precedents concerning the suspension of conviction and execution of sentence, the court ordered a stay on the execution of both until the final disposal of the appeal.

For the last three years, Yadav has served as senior manager at Indian Immunologicals Ltd., a leading vaccine manufacturer, where he is directly involved in vaccine R&D.