AGENCY
New Delhi: Former Delhi University Lecturer SAR Gilani, arrested under sedition charges in connection with a Press Club event here, was on Saturday granted bail by a Court here which observed that no purpose would be served by keeping him in jail.
Additional Sessions Judge Deepak Garg granted the relief to Gilani on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount.
“In the circumstances of this case, in my view, no purpose would be served by keeping the applicant (Gilani) in judicial custody anymore pending further investigation. There is no allegation of the state that there is any apprehension of the accused fleeing from justice,” the Court said.
The Judge also said that Gilani “shall not leave the jurisdiction of Delhi without permission of the Court” while asking him to surrender his passport before the Court.
“The applicant shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade them from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any other authority,” the court said.
During the arguments, Gilani’s counsel Satish Tamta said that there were no evidence against him that he raised the alleged anti-Indian slogans, claiming that as per the FIR itself, the people raising slogans there were stopped by office bearers of the Press Club of India (PCI) and asked to leave the venue to which they agreed to.
“There is nothing on record that Gilani shouted anti-India slogans or asked others to do so. It was a meeting of intellectuals to discuss the Kashmir issue. I had organised the event as I am Vice President of one of the committees for demanding release of the political prisoners.
“There was nothing in the event which led to any violence as there was nothing that could be called incitement. The prosecution has not pointed out that I was the one raising slogans or asked others to do so. And even if I did so, that doesn’t come under 124-A as it did not create any violence or incitement for the violence,” Tamta said, adding that as per the SC orders itself, merely shouting slogans doesn’t attract 124-A.
He further said that Gilani is already in jail for last around one month and not required for the probe any further.
“His presence can also not influence any person and he is not capable to influence the investigation,” the counsel said.
