The Bombay High Court on October 24 granted bail to three accused in the Azad Maidan violence case—the first to get bail on merits. In a major setback to the Mumbai police, the court also questioned charging the three alleged rioters for murder. “Though the case relates to riots and huge destruction of public property, prima facie the charge of murder and attempt to murder seems without basis,” said Justice Abhay Thipsay. The judge ordered that the trio — Amin Chaudhari, Nazar Siddique and Omair Ansari — who have spent over 70 days in prison be released on bail.
Chaudhari, Nazar Siddique, who suffered a gunshot wound, and Ansari claimed that they were not part of the mob, but were passersby who were hauled up by the police.
Additional public prosecutor Usha Kejriwal opposed granting bail to the accused, saying the police was yet to carry a test identification parade of the accused. The court, however, said that the police had been given time to carry out the identification parade earlier, but they had failed to do so.