The order in the bail plea of activist Piyush Manush has been reserved for Wednesday. Monica Sethia, wife of Piyush, on Tuesday moved the bail application stating that her husband was recovering from a surgery and needed immediate medical attention. She also said that Piyush was assaulted by officials inside Central Prison that worsened his health condition. During the course of the hearing, Principal District Judge N. Seshasayee said social activists should desist from taking law into their hands and instead approach the courts for a solution. He also indicated that he might consider granting conditional bail.
Responding to the submission of Ms. Monica who highlighted Piyush’s association with many social causes, the judge observed a social activist should not take law into his own hands, but realise his responsibility and act accordingly.
The judge said that the activist could have staged a fast or got himself involved in some form of non-violent protest. Also, he could have approached the district administration or submitted a petition to the people’s representative. He added that even if the government failed to act, activists should not disturb the public or government officials and should approach the court. “The court is very much eager to join hands with activists for resolving certain problems,’’ he said.
Further, he observed that activists and various organisations involved in such protests would only keep the police preoccupied, thereby delaying inquiry into various crimes. “Sometimes, cases related to murder, burglary and rape cases cannot be investigated properly by the police because of such protests, which come in handy for those accused,” he observed.
Public Prosecutor P. Dhanasekar opposed the bail and said that the intension of the activist is to stop the bridge work at Mulluvadi Gate, which is evident from his postings in social media. He sought time to submit the evidence.
The judge asked the prosecutor to submit the evidence on Wednesday and said that he would consider giving conditional bail.
