SC GRANTS BAIL TO MAULANA NASEERUDDIN

The Supreme Court of India granted bail to Hyderabad-based Maulana Naseeruddin who had been languishing in Gujarat’s Sabarmati jail for the last six years on unproven charges. The bail appeal of Maulana Naseeruddin was pending in the Supreme Court for the last seven months. When the hearing of the case started, Kamini Jaiswal, the Advocate of Maulana, presented his case in court consisting of Justices Markandeya Katju and Justice Ashok Kumar Ganguly. Adv. Jaiswal said the Gujarat Government, while avoiding to file its reply, became a hurdle for the bail appeal which is against the right of any citizen. Jaiswal also said the government is unable to present any evidence/witness against the Maulana to support its charge against him in the case of an alleged conspiracy. Due to the repeated change of the public prosecutor, the trial has been delayed in Gujarat and there is no hope that the trial will complete in near future, said Adv. Jaiswal. Though the Supreme Court had given the direction to the Gujarat Government to complete the trial as early as possible in 2006 itself, the Gujarat Government failed to fulfil the directions of Supreme Court. Adv. Jaiswal urged that the appeal of the Maulana be accepted and the Maulana be granted bail. The Supreme Court took this matter seriously. Justice Markandeya Katju while granting bell said, “Already six years have been passed without trial, and looking at his age, will you take his life and then only leave him.”