Supreme Court Permits Abdul Nazir Maudany To Reside In Kerala By Modifying His Bail Condition In Bangalore Blasts Case
|The Supreme Court today relaxed the bail condition of PDP leader and terror accused Abdul Nazir Maudany by allowing him to stay in his hometown in Kerala, instead of Bengaluru where he was required to reside till now. Maudany is an accused in the 2008 Bangalore bomb blasts case and is awaiting the completion of the trial.
The Bench comprising Justice A.S. Bopanna and Justice M.M. Sundresh considered Maudany's plea to be permitted to travel and reside in Kerala until the disposal of his case, modifying the conditions imposed by the Court's order dated July 11, 2014.
The Apex Court noted that the examination of witnesses is complete and arguments in the case are underway and that the presence of the appellant in Bengaluru is not currently required. Accordingly, the order dated July 11, 2014, was modified to allow Abdul Nazir Maudany to travel to his hometown in Kollam District in Kerala and reside there. The Court directed him to report to the Station House Officer of the nearest police station, once every 15 days. Moreover, if any further details are needed, the police in Bangalore are allowed to seek them from the police station in Kollam District.
The Bench ordered, "Keeping in view the fact that at present the presence of the appellant would not be required, we deem it appropriate to grant the modification. Hence we allow the modification in the order dated 11.07.2014 to permit the applicant to travel to his hometown in Kerala and reside there."
Furthermore, the Court permitted Maudany to seek medical treatment, if required, by reporting to the Kollam police and visiting the desired medical facility in other parts of Kerala. The Court was informed by Senior Advocate Kabil Sibal, representing the applicant, that the trial had concluded, and arguments were ongoing, with the state itself estimating that it would take two more years for the trial to conclude. Sibal also apprised the Court that Maudany was in a wheelchair due to the amputation of one of his legs.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had granted Abdul Nazir Maudany permission to travel to Kerala for one month to visit his ailing father.
Abdul Nazir Maudany, along with 31 others, was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, for their alleged involvement in a series of bomb blasts in Bengaluru on July 25, 2008, resulting in the death of one person and injuring 20 others. He was also accused in the 1998 Coimbatore serial blasts, which led to the death of 58 people; however, he was subsequently acquitted by a trial court.
Cause Title: Abdul Nazir Maudany v. The State Of Karnataka [MA 418-426/2023 in SLP(Crl) No. 8084-8092/2013]