The Hindu : Front Page : Varun granted anticipatory bail

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Saturday, Mar 21, 2009
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Front Page

Varun granted anticipatory bail

Nirnimesh Kumar

Protection from arrest only till March 27

NEW DELHI: In an interim relief to Varun Gandhi, BJP candidate from Pilibhit, the Delhi High Court on Friday restrained the U.P. police from arresting him in the case of his alleged communal speech at a recent election meeting.

The Barkhedha police station in Pilibhit registered the case on March 17 on a direction from the Election Commission under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between classes and 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated) of the IPC and Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Mr. Gandhi approached the High Court as there was no provision for grant of anticipatory bail in the Criminal Procedure Code in U.P.

Justice Reva Khetrapal said that in case Mr. Gandhi was arrested, he would be released on bail on his furnishing a bail bond for Rs. 50,000.

However, protection from arrest would be available to Mr. Gandhi only till March 27, when the court takes up the matter for hearing to decide whether it has the jurisdiction to consider the case as the place of occurrence of the crime is outside Delhi.

The Allahabad High Court is expected to take up Mr. Gandhi’s petition seeking quashing of the criminal case against him.

Earlier, the Delhi government counsel submitted that the High Court did not have the jurisdiction in the matter.

The court issued notice to the U.P. police, asking them to file a reply to Mr. Gandhi’s plea by March 27.

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