The Kerala High Court on Monday granted bail to 10 Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] workers, all accused in the case relating to the murder of Mansoor, an Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) worker, at Panur in Kannur district on the Assembly election day this year.
Justice K. Haripal, while granting bail to Shinos K.K. and other accused, observed that Thalassery was a hub of political rivalry and clashes. A large number of cases were pending in the Thalassery sessions court and it was unlikely that the trial of the case would be held in the near future. That would result in protraction of trial and indefinite detention of the petitioners. Such a pre-trial detention was not expedient nor in public interest. Moreover, the country was still in the grip of COVID-19. The policy to ease crowding in prisons also impelled the court to grant them bail.
The attack occurred as a sequel to clashes between the CPI(M) and IUML workers. Muhasin and Mansoor, brothers from Chokli Pullukkara, sustained grievous injuries in the attacks and Mansoor later succumbed to his injuries.
Conditions
The court ordered the release of the accused on their executing a bond for ₹2 lakh each with two solvent sureties each for the like sum to the satisfaction of the jurisdictional court concerned. The other conditions were that they shall not enter Kannur district until all witnesses were examined except for the purpose of attending courts and that they shall appear before the investigating officer/trial court as and when required.
The court also asked them to surrender their passports, if any, and if not, give an undertaking that they did not possess passports.
