The Supreme Court has granted relaxation of bail condition imposed on Abdul Nasir Maudany, prominent Muslim leader in Kerala and an undertrial prisoner in the 2008 Bangalore blasts case, permitting him to travel and to reside in his home town in Kerala.
As part of the bail condition, the Kerala People’s Democratic Party chairman was to stay in Bengaluru till the trial in the blasts case is over.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Maudany told the top court that the trial is over and that arguments were going. Maudany’s health is also deteriorating, he informed the Court, Live Law reported.
“Trial is over, arguments are going on, it’ll take a year to finish the arguments. This Court had ordered earlier that the trial should be over in 4 months. Now it’s taken 13 years. Since 2013, he has been on conditional bail, he has to stay in Bangalore. He has an amputated leg, his kidney has to be transplanted,” Sibal had said.
“The state says you cannot move out of Bangalore, you have to live in Bangalore. I don’t see the reason why I (Maudany) should remain in Bangalore. “ Sibal went on to argue.
On 17 April, the Supreme Court of India had relaxed his bail condition to allow him to visit his ailing parents in Kerala, till 8 July. However, Sibal submitted that he had to cut short his visit as he could not afford the deposit for security cover demanded by the State of Karnataka. Maudany was unable to visit his ailing father, Sibal told the Court.
Sibal said: “This Court said you can only go to Kerala from 17th April to 8th of July. But we have to pay for the security. The man couldn’t afford so he decided to go on 26th June to 8th July. When he landed there he vomited, he was rushed to the hospital. His father is sick that’s why he was going. He stayed in the hospital, and on 8th of July he had to come back without seeing his father. That’s the state of affairs in this country. “
Abdul Nasir Maudany, an assertive Muslim politician who founded People’s Democratic Party, was arrested in connection with the Coimbatore bomb blast on 31 March 1998. After spending around 9 years in jail, he got acquitted of all charges in August 2007.
However, in August 2010, he was arrested and taken to Parappana Agrahara central prison in Bangalore in connection with the 2008 Bangalore blast case. In July 2014, Maudany got bail on medical grounds by the Supreme Court on the condition that he will not leave Bangalore and the government is at liberty to take all steps, including putting him under surveillance, to ensure he does not get in touch with witnesses in the case.
