9 granted bail in Nagpur riots case

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to nine persons arrested in connection with the communal riots that erupted in Maharashtra’s Nagpur in March, PTI reported.

The violence in Nagpur on March 17 took place hours after Hindutva groups held a protest in the city demanding that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb located in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar be removed.

Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke of the Nagpur bench noted that the custody of the nine arrested persons was not needed anymore.

The persons who were granted bail are Absar Ansari, Ashfaquulla Aminullah, Ejaz Ansari, Iftekar Ansari, Iqbal Ansari, Izhar Ansari, Mohammad Rahil, Mohammad Yasir and Muzzamil Ansari.

They have been charged under sections of the Arms Act, the Maharashtra Police Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Their counsel had argued that the investigation had been completed, because of which their custody was no longer necessary.

The prosecution had opposed the bail plea. The Hindu quoted Senior Public Prosecutor DV Chauhan as having argued that the alleged actions of the nine persons amounted to a “form of terrorism” and posed a threat to public order.

The court noted that bail was the rule and jail was the exception, the Hindustan Times reported. It granted bail to the men on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each.

The bench...

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