A Mumbai court on Friday acquitted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal; former CEO of Bank of Scotland Meera Sanyal, activist Medha Patkar and five Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members for holding a rally in Mumbai during the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
The accused were booked for holding an "unscheduled" rally in Mankhurd without prior permission from the Mumbai traffic police. Relevant sections of the Mumbai Police Act were levied upon them.
Mr. Kejriwal, Ms. Sanyal, and AAP members Sundar Balkrishna Nayar, Anil Rathod, Shakeel Ahmed, Imtiyaz Ansari and Ram Sinha Bharadwaj were present in the court.
Metropolitan Magistrate PK Deshpande acquitted all of them for lack of communication of refusal of permission, no promulgation of prohibitory orders, no proof of electronic evidence and delay in recording of statements. All of them have to execute a personal bond of Rs 15,000 in cash.
On December 9, 2015, the court granted permanent exemption to Mr. Kejriwal from appearing in the court. Satish Jain, a Mumbai Lok Sabha member of the AAP filed a surety in the court.
On January 20, 2016, Mr Kejriwal submitted a bail bond of Rs. 10,000 and a surety at the Kurla magistrate court.
