Eighteen more Maruti workers, arrested in connection with the violence in the company’s Manesar Plant four years ago, were granted bail by a trial court here on Thursday. With this, 134 out of the 150 workers arrested in the case so far are out on bail now.
Additional Sessions Judge Balwant Singh granted bail to the 18 workers on two sureties of Rs.2 lakh each.
Defence Counsel Monu Kuhar said the bail plea for the workers was moved after the Supreme Court granted bail to Amit Nain, one of the workers, on the grounds that trial in the case had been stayed and the future of the case was uncertain.
Welcoming the bail, senior advocate Vrinda Grover, who represents the workers in the Supreme Court, told The Hindu that it followed the earlier order of the apex court that “bail cannot be used as a punishment”. She asserted that they had very strong evidence that most of the workers were falsely implicated.
With the bail to the 18 workers, now only a dozen office bearers of the then workers' union are behind the bars.
Mr. Kuhar said that the bail had come as a huge relief for the families of the workers. “It has been a long drawn battle for the workers’ families. Most of the families have been struggling financially with no means to make both ends meet. Some of them had health issues as well. Most of the families are not left with enough financial means and patience to continue the legal battle,” said Mr. Kuhar. A total of 102 prosecution witnesses have been examined so far.
