Allahabad High Court grants anticipatory bail to Siddharth Varadarajan
Lucknow: The Wire's founding editor Siddharth Varadarajan, who was booked for making remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityananth, has been granted anticipatory bail by the Allahabad High Court.
Two FIRs were registered at Kotwali Ayodhya police station against Varadarajan.
One of the FIRs was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, IT Act, Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act.
Pronouncing the order reserved on May 13, Justice Chandra Dhari Singh directed the petitioner to immediately surrender his US passport and not to leave the country without permission of the trial court.
The Lucknow bench of the high court on Friday held that anticipatory bail can be granted even after submission of charge sheet and after the judicial magistrate has cognisance.
The court also imposed many other riders before allowing his pleas of anticipatory bail.
Senior lawyer IB Singh had submitted that the petitioner was being targeted for ulterior reason by the state government for the factual error which was corrected immediately before lodging of FIRs.
He also argued that the maximum punishment against the offences registered against the petitioner stood up to three years and in such cases the Supreme Court has deprecated arrest.
Even then Varadarajan was being harassed, Singh said.
Opposing the plea, Additional Advocate General V K Sahi argued that the act of the petitioner amounted to disturbing communal harmony.
He also strongly submitted that the investigation was already complete and charge sheets were filed.
Not only this, the chief judicial magistrate of Ayodhya has taken cognisance of the offences and issued summons against the petitioner and as such at this stage the anticipatory bail plea was not maintainable, Sahi argued.
Considering the pleas of both the sides, the bench said that a person can apprehend arrest at the hands of the magistrate for the purpose of remanding him to custody, "while committing the sessions case to the Court of Session for trial with an accusation of non-bailable offence and this would certainly make that person to be entitled for approaching the court under Section 438 CrPC for obtaining anticipatory bail".
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KKR defeat LSG via Super Over
Lucknow (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders edged Lucknow Super Giants via Super Overs in a battle between two bottom-placed teams in the IPL, here on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 156, LSG suffered a batting collapse and managed to tie the contest and take it to Super Over with No. 9 Mohammed Shami striking a last-ball six against a wayward Kartik Tyagi, who leaked 16 runs in the final over.
But Sunil Narine bowled a stunning Super Over conceding just one run and taking two wickets to give KKR an easy target.
Rinku Singh then finished the chase with a boundary off first ball from Prince Yadav.
Earlier the KKR were in deep trouble with 93/7 in 15 overs but Rinku smashed a sensational 83 not out from 51 balls including four sixes in a row in the final over to lift them to 155/7.
Cameron Green (34) was the only other batter to reach double-digit scores as KKR suffered a familiar batting meltdown with Mohsin taking his maiden fifer.
In reply, LSG continued their dismal show with the bat to succumb to their fifth loss in a row.
Brief Scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders 155/7; 20 overs (Rinku Singh 83 not out, Cameron Green 34; Mohsin Khan 5/23). Lucknow Super Giants 155/8; 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 42). KKR won via Super Over.
