The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to Karnataka on a petition filed by Abdul Nazir Maudany, People’s Democratic Party leader, seeking bail in the 2008 Bangalore bomb blast case.
A Bench comprising Justices H.L. Gokhale and J. Chelameswar issued notice returnable on October 21 after hearing counsel Prashant Bhushan and counsel Haris Beeran for the petitioner.
Mr. Bhushan argued that Maudany had now become completely disabled and physically challenged with his left leg amputated. He was now in Kerala and suffering from severe ailments and confined to a wheelchair. Counsel also said that Maudany had lost his sight in one of the eyes.
He had spent three-and-a-half years in jiail. Earlier, he had spent about 10 years in jail in the Coimbatore blast case in which he was acquitted, counsel pointed out.
Mr. Bhushan said that the Karnataka High Court had dismissed the bail application stating that he should approach the Supreme Court. Mr. Bhushan pleaded that notice be issued to Kerala as well, but the Bench said that for the time being notice was confined to Karnataka.
In his special leave petition, Maudany said that he was named as an accused only after the submission of a third charge sheet in 2010 (although the Bangalore bomb blast incident was of July 2008) on the basis of statements which could only be deemed to be “fabricated and concocted.”
He maintained that there was no evidence against him and that he had been falsely implicated on the basis of some statements given by the accused before the police, which was not admissible in evidence.
He sought quashing of the impugned High Court order and a direction to release him on bail.
The Bench posted the matter for further hearing on October 21.
