Supreme Court grants bail to 13 accused in Calcutta Election related Violence Case
On May 2, 2021, the deceased Haran Adhikari was brutally beaten due to political enmity, succumbing to his injuries.
New Delhi, January 4: In a significant development, the Supreme Court granted bail to 13 individuals accused in connection with the killing of a political leader during the 2021 West Bengal election-related violence, dismissing the Calcutta High Court verdict. On June 25, 2022, the Calcutta High Court canceled the anticipatory bail granted by the Baruipur District Magistrate’s Court in the wake of the CBI’s recommendations.
The violence, stemming from political enmity between workers of the BJP and TMC, saw communal elements attempting to color it with religious-based violence, resulting in the unjust arrest of innocent Muslim youths. On May 2, 2021, at 8 pm, the deceased Haran Adhikari was brutally beaten due to political enmity, succumbing to his injuries. Subsequently, the police filed a case against 17 accused, who had initially obtained anticipatory bail from the district court. The case was later handed over to the CBI, leading to the Calcutta High Court rejecting the bail granted by the district court.
Responding to the request from the families of the 13 accused, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind President Maulana Mahmood Madani appointed lawyers who filed a Special Petition Appeal (Crl.) Nos. 10830-10834/2022 in the Supreme Court in November 2022. In the first hearing, the Supreme Court granted temporary protection to the accused, preventing their arrest by the CBI, with the condition that they would be summoned for questioning as needed. Today, in its final decision, the Supreme Court has approved permanent bail for the accused.
Honorable Judges Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Sidhanshu Dhulia delivered the judgment, stating that the accused are fully cooperating with the CBI, making imprisonment unnecessary. Senior Advocates Siddharth Dave, Syed Mehdi Imam, Advocate Muhammad Noorullah, Tabrez Ahmed, and Advocate Atif Suhrawardy represented the accused on behalf of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind in court, while the CBI was represented by ASJ Aishwarya Bhati and others.
Maulana Niaz Ahmed Farooqui, the legal affairs incharge of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, and Maulana Siddiqueullah Chaudhary, president of Jamiat Ulama West Bengal, expressed satisfaction with the development.
