Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jul 21: Four SDPI leaders who have been charged with attempting to kill a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader during the pro-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) convention held in the city, were granted bail by the state high court on Monday July 20.

A single-judge bench of the state high court presided over by Justice Michael D'Cunha, which examined the bail application moved by Mohammad Irfan and three others, had reserved its orders. On Monday, the bench pronounced its orders. Mohammad Irfan, Akbar Pasha, Syed Siddique and Sanaulla Shariff have been granted bail. The court prescribed the conditions that the accused have to furnish a bond of one lac rupees each and provide surety of the like amount. It said that they are barred from going out of the court's jurisdiction during the bail period and asked them to appear for the hearings at the court which is hearing their case without fail.

"The government lawyer had claimed that the accused were involved in unlawful activities. But no proof has been provided for this statement. Even the Kalasipalya police officer who investigated this allegation has not provided any evidence to support this claim. No valid reasons in support of the demand to extend judicial custody period have been provided, the judge observed. The judge also said that the bail was granted as permission to invoke section 45 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was not obtained.

Bengaluru south MP, Tejasvi Surya, had organized a convention in favour of the Citizenship Amendment Act on December 22, 2019, at the town hall Bengaluru. Several RSS leaders and workers had participated in it. When Varun, an RSS leader, was returning from the convention, the accused men arrived on motorbikes and intercepted him. Six people had attacked him with lethal weapons, injuring him badly in his neck, head and back, as a result of which he lost a lot of blood. Based on the complaint filed, the police conducted an operation and found that Mohammed Irfan, a tailor, and five other SDPI members had committed this act.