Bangalore: Karnataka High Court Monday granted
time till February 8 for the prosecution to file its
objections to the bail plea by PDP leader Abdul Nasser Madani,
an accused in the 2008 Bangalore serial blasts.
When the petition came up before single judge, Justice V
Jagannathan, Special Public Prosecutor HS Chandramouli
submitted that the petition must be heard by the same judge
who heard Madani`s anticipatory bail plea in the High Court.
This was termed in "bad taste and against the roster
system" by senior defence counsel BV Acharya, who said
sufficient time had already been granted to the prosecution
since the filing of the bail petition on December 13.
Agreeing with the defence counsel that the bail plea need
not be heard by the same judge who heard the anticipatory bail
application, the judge, however, granted time till February 8
for the prosecution to file its objections and directed it to
furnish a copy of the objections to the defence counsel before
the said date.
Madani has sought bail on the grounds that there is no
prima facie case against him to implicate him in the blasts in
July, 2008 that left one dead and 20 injured.
Madani was taken into custody from an
orphanage-cum-madrassa in Anwarssery in Kerala on August 17
and subsequently brought to Bangalore.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader is lodged in
Bangalore Central Jail.
A local court committed the case for trial on December
3.
Madani was also an accused in the 1998 Coimbatore serial
blasts in which 58 people were killed. However, he was
acquitted by the trial court.
PTI
