Madani’s bail plea adjourned, Karnataka govt to seek warrant

The arrest of Kerala-based politician Abdul Nasser Madani seems imminent with the state government planning to seek a production warrant to pick him up.

Karnataka’s home minister VS Acharya said on Tuesday that the founder and chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Madani, would face trial in the serial blasts case.

As many as nine improvised explosive devices had exploded in different parts of the city on July 25, 2008, killing a woman and injuring at least 10 others.

Besides Madani, 31 other persons were named as accused in the chargesheet the city police had filed. 

“We will be applying for the production warrant from the court to arrest him and bring him to Bangalore to face the trial,” Acharya said.

Speaking to the media, the home minister said that Karnataka had sought Kerala’s cooperation in arresting Madani, a firebrand orator. He had been jailed in Coimbatore in connection with the February 14, 1998 serial blasts.

As many as 46 persons were killed, and more than 200 persons were injured in 13 blasts that rocked that border city. Madani was released in 2007.

Besides requesting Kerala’s cooperation in arresting Madani, Karnataka also requested protection for its police personnel in that state. Madani’s supporters were expected to set up a human wall to prevent his arrest.

The Kerala government, meanwhile, assured cooperation and ordered its police force to be prepared to face eventuality that might arise following Madani’s arrest.

In a related development on Tuesday, a city court adjourned to July 29 the hearing of Madani’s anticipatory bail plea. The fifth fast track court adjourned the hearing after the city police submitted objections to the bail.

Justice Srikanth Vatavati had earlier taken up the hearing, and postponed it to June 22, after the public prosecutor requested for six days time to file the objection.

The police had named Madani as 31st accused in the additional chargesheet filed before the first additional chief metropolitan magistrate on June 11. He has been charged under sections 219, 102, and 302 of the Indian Penal Code.