The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to Soni Sori, a tribal schoolteacher of Dantewada, and her relative, journalist Lingaram Kodopi, who are facing trial on the charge of having helped to arrange ‘protection money’ payoffs from steel giant Essar to Maoists in Chhattisgarh.
Ms. Sori and Mr. Kodopi were granted bail since the Chhattisgarh government did not produce an officer for assisting the court in examining the case records it had submitted earlier.
V.A. Mohta, senior counsel for Chhattisgarh, said none could be assigned as all officers were deployed on election duties.
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The next hearing is scheduled for December 3, when the State is expected to file its reply.
Ms. Sori, 38, and Mr. Kodopi have been in jail for the past two years, facing multiple criminal charges, ranging from manslaughter to criminal conspiracy. Ms. Sori is alleged to have been tortured in police custody and is still suffering from multiple injuries. Mr. Kodopi, who played a decisive role in exposing the massacre of villagers at Tadmetla in Bijapur district, claims his life and career have been ruined.
Amiy Shukla, one of Ms. Sori’s lawyer, said Ms. Sori was acquitted in six of the eight cases filed against her. Her husband, Anil Futane, co-accused in another case, died during this time. The children separated from the family.
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D.V.C.S. Verma, general manager at an Essar steel plant, and B.K. Lala, an Essar contractor, were also arrested. However, they were granted bail in the first few months of their arrest.