[2008 Bengaluru Blast] Supreme Court rejects plea by Abdul Nazer Maudany to relax bail conditions

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the plea of People Democratic Party PDP) leader Abdul Nazir Maudany seeking relaxation in bail conditions in the 2008 Bengaluru bomb blast case (Abdul Nazir Maudany v. State of Karnataka)..The PDP leader had sought permission of the Supreme Court to stay in his hometown in Kerala till the pendency of the trial in the case in which he is an accused.In this regard, the plea sought relaxation of bail conditions imposed by the Supreme court in July 2014 when Maudany was granted bail in view of his health complications.A Division Bench of Justices Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari, however, refused to entertain the application."Application for relaxation of Bail Condition imposed vide this Court’s order dated July 11, 2014 is dismissed," the Court ordered.One of the bail conditions imposed by the Supreme Court in 2014 was that Maudany should stay in Bengaluru and not leave the city. Consequently, Maudany has been staying in Bengaluru since..Maudany by way of his present application sought relaxation of the bail conditions on the ground that the undertakings on the basis of which bail condition survived have since lapsed.The trial has been protracted on account of lethargic attitude of Karnataka government, the plea contended.The petition stated that proceedings before the trial court was moving "at a snail's pace," often due to recall and reexamination of witnesses, transfer of Special Public Prosecutor thrice and then due to the COVID-19 outbreak.Maudany also cited a number of health ailments as another ground to seek his return to Kerala. In particular, he highlighted the deteriorating condition of his eyes adding that Bengaluru doctors had suggested him to undergo Ayurvedic treatment in Ernakulam district of Kerala.Thus on this account, the Maudany prayed that he should be allowed to return to Kerala.In his application, Maudany argued that he was earlier allowed to travel to Kerala in 2015 to visit his ailing mother for which the trial court had directed relaxation of his bail conditions. A similar relief was granted in 2016 and later in 2017 when he was allowed to travel to Kerala to attend his son's wedding.State of Karnataka opposed the application stating that Maudany was involved in the Coimbatore blasts 1998 has several charges against him. .Advocates Prashant Bhushan and Harris Beeran appeared for Maudany while advocate Nikhil Goel represented State of Karnataka..The 2008 Bengaluru blasts had left one person dead and 20 others injured. Maudany is listed as the 31st accused in an additional charge sheet filed by the police..[Read Order]