The former naxal Noor Zulfikar, who was remanded in judicial custody after he returned to the mainstream on December 9 last year, was released on bail in Chikkamgaluru on Saturday. He spent over 40 days in the sub-jail in the city as there were cases registered against him at Jayapura, Sringeri and Karkala police stations.
Mr. Zulfikar was released on Saturday after he got bail in all the cases.
His friends, including Sirimane Nagaraj also a former naxal, were present when he was released. Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Zulfikar said he would actively participate in democratic struggles in Karnataka.
“During my stay in jail, I came across many people accused in different cases languishing there without a trial. They are spending valuable time as there has been a delay in delivering justice,” he said.
Mr. Nagaraj and Mr. Zulfikar had returned to the mainstream in the presence of freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy and Gauri Lankesh, members of the State-Level Committee set up to oversee implementation of surrender/assimilation and rehabilitation policy for Left-wing extremists, in Chikkamagaluru on December 8.
‘What’s next?’
Bengaluru Staff Reporter writes:
Mr. Zulfikar, who, with Mr. Nagaraj held a press conference in Bengaluru on Sunday and later participated in a discussion on the way forward, called his 40-day stay in jail “disturbing” as well as a “learning experience”.
“The question before us now is what next? We need to break barriers and come together to form a new movement and a federation,” he said.
