HC grants bail to suspected Naxal Sheetal Sathe

Sheetal Sathe, suspected naxal sympathiser and folk singer with the radical musical group Kabir Kala Manch, was granted bail by the Bombay high court on Thursday.

Justice Abhay Thipsay granted bail to Sathe against a personal bond of Rs30,000 after the prosecution did not oppose her bail application because she is eight-and-a-half months pregnant.

Special public prosecutor Rohini Salian told the court that they did not have any objection if Sathe was granted bail considering her medical condition.

Sathe had approached the high court for bail through her advocate Vijay Hiremath after she was denied relief by the Sewri sessions court.

Hiremath argued that she should be granted bail on humanitarian grounds.

On April 2, Sathe and her husband Sachin Mali courted arrest after being underground for over two years.

The couple was declared absconding accused in a 2011 case registered against 15 persons for their alleged role in supporting and funding naxal activities in the state.

They are facing charges under several sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for their alleged involvement with the banned organisation Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Of the 15, seven members of the KKM were arrested in 2010 by the ATS.

However, Sathe, Mali and six others had gone underground.