Karnataka today opposed granting bail to PDP leader Abdul Nasser Maudany, an accused in the 2008 serial bomb blasts that rocked the city, charging that the accused “masterminded” the explosions.
Opposing the bail application, State’s Advocate General Ashok Haranahally submitted in the High Court that the accused had links with members of terror groups including Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).
“It would not be safe to grant bail to such a person who is involved in terror activities as already most witnesses in the case are being threatened,” Mr. Haranahally pleaded.
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The accused appears to have masterminded the blasts as he was not only involved in the conspiracy but was in constant touch with other accused, some of who are alleged to be LeT members and was continuously monitoring what was happening, the prosecution argued.
“It just cannot be believed at that he was not involved in the conspiracy. He was not only involved in it, he harboured the accused,” Mr. Haranahally contended.
B V Acharya, Counsel for Mr. Maudany, submitted that a person should not be made accused in a case on the basis of his past.
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Mr. Acharya rejected allegations made against Mr. Maudany that he founded Islamic Seva Sangha in 1991 and later disbanded it.
He also said the accused formed People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 1993, which is now a recognised political party.
“There are no cases against the ISS or the PDP that it was or it is indulging in unlawful activities. He cannot be accused of an offence on that basis,” he submitted.
Mr. Acharya further contended that the investigation had not been carried in a fair manner and it was “only a make believe theory to implicate Mr. Maudany”.
Requesting that Mr. Maudany be granted bail, Mr. Acharya pleaded he would abide by any condition imposed by the court.
Mr. Maudany has sought bail on the grounds that there was no prima facie case against him.
Justice V Jagannathan sought certain clarifications on the phone call records between the accused and the other accused and posted the case to tomorrow for further arguments.
The Bangalore blasts in July 2008 left one person dead and 20 others injured.
Mr. Maudany, nabbed in Kerala on August 17, is lodged in Bangalore Central Jail.
The PDP leader was also an accused in the 1998 Coimbatore serial bomb blasts in which 58 people were killed, but was acquitted by the trial court.