By TCN News,
Bengaluru: PDP chairman Abdunnasir Maudany was today denied bail in the 2008 Bengaluru blast case by the Karnataka High Court. Js V Jagannathan denied the bail plea submitted by Maudany pointing out that there was prime facie case against the latter as per the evidences and testimonies, while also considering the graveness of the case and the security of the country.
Individual liberty is important, but is above the country’s security, the court reportedly noted. The court made its judgement considering the evidences presented by the prosecution including the phone call details that Maudany had received on his four phones from the others accused in the case. At the same time, the court also directed the prosecution to ensure the necessary medical treatment facilities for Maudany. Adv BV Acharya argued for Maudany and Advocate General Ashok Haranahalli represented the prosecution.
When the hearing began yesterday, Maudany’s consul argued that there was no evidence proving Maudany’s role in the blast. Maudany was named 31st accused in the third chargsheet, and his name was not even mentioned in the first two chargsheets. Also the testimonies of Prabhakar and Rafeeq, who have met Maudany at Kodagu according to the police version, do not mention Maudany’s name. The prosecution says that another witness Majeed had testified from Kannur, but he was actually under medical treatment in a hospital in Ernakulam and died five days after he gave the testimony. Another witness Jose Varghese has filed a case accusing that his testimony was a cooked up one. Adv BV Acharya added that Maudany was ready to comply with any condition put forward by the court if granted bail.
The prosecution argued that Maudany had tried to influence the witnesses with the help of ‘Tehelka’ Kerala correspondent KK Shahina even when he was in judicial custody. The journalist has been booked in a case for trying to intimidate the witnesses. The others accused in the blast case had been in contact, including on phone, with Maudany before and after the blast. The prosecution argued that Maudany would influence the witnesses if granted bail.
Even though Maudany had submitted the bail plea in December, the hearing began yesterday only as the prosecution took time to file the counter-affidavit. Every time the case was considered, the prosecution asked for more time and finally the counter-affidavit was filed on Tuesday. Again the hearing was deferred to Thursday on the request of the prosecution.
Meanwhile, trial proceedings reportedly began in the blast case yesterday in the special 34th sessions court near the Parappana Agrahara Jail where all the accused are kept. The accused were read out the chargesheet against them. However, the consuls of the accused were not reportedly informed of the trial. The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate had transferred the case to the Sessions Court as per the information of the Bengaluru City Police that the trial could be begun in December. A special public prosecutor also has been appointed for the trial, according to reports.
One person was killed and 17 others injured in the serial blasts that took place in nine places in Bengaluru city on July 25, 2008. In the nine cases registered in different police stations, a total of 32 persons are accused. Among them 19 have been arrested so far, three of whom are in Gujarat in connection with the Ahmedabad blast. Four accused have reportedly been killed in an encounter in Kashmir. Nine, including two Pakistan citizens, are yet to be arrested. Sixteen accused including Maudany are in the Bengaluru jail.