Abdul Nasser Madani (file photo)
Bengaluru: People's Democratic Party (PDP) chairman Abdul Naser Madani, on bail and facing charges in the Bengaluru serial blasts case, has been asked to foot a hefty escort bill by the Karnataka government for his stay in native Kerala as granted by the Supreme Court.
Madani who has been facing trial in Karnataka, and waiting for over a decade for a judgement in the case, is currently on bail granted by the Supreme Court but has been staying in Bengaluru. On April 17, the apex court's bench comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela Trivedi granted his request for relaxation in bail conditions so as to travel to native Kerala for required ayurvedic treatment for failing memory and vision problems, that is available only in Kerala and to visit his ailing father. The court also put the condition that he will be escorted by Karnataka police and the expenses incurred by the Karnataka police should be met by Madani.
Madani and his party PDP allege that now the Karnataka government is doing everything it can to block his easy passage to Kerala, which was allowed much against the state government's will and objections in the court. The Bengaluru City Police Commissioner CH Pratap Reddy deputed a team of 20 policemen and has demanded deposit of a whopping Rs 60 lakh, to cover the police duty during his stay till July 10.
In addition Madani has also been verbally asked to pay for the food and accommodation of the police on duty. That added, the total bill is estimated to touch Rs 1 crore.
It is pointed out that the order relaxing Madani's bail conditions does not prescribe such rigid conditions or envisage such heavy cost, and the Karnataka police's move is to create as many obstacles as possible before his Kerala trip. Madani said he is planning to approach the Supreme Court against this.
In 2017 in a similar relaxation of bail conditions, Madani was allowed by the Supreme Court to travel to Kerala to attend the wedding of his son Omer Mukhtar when the state police demanded Rs 18 lakh. Madani then approached the court which came down heavily on the police and ordered that the deposit amount to be brought down to Rs 1.18 lakh.