New Delhi: Abdul Nassir Madani, the former president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the main accused in the 2008 Bengaluru serial bomb blast case has been granted permission by the Supreme Court to move and reside in his hometown in Kerala.
The bench comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and M.M. Sundresh approved Madani's application on the condition that he would appear at a designated police station in Kollam, Kerala, every two weeks.
“In a modification of the order dated July 11, 2014, we permit the applicant to travel to his hometown in Kerala and stay there. However, to ensure that the applicant is adhering to all other requirements, we direct that the appellant will report to the Station House Officer of the nearest police in Kollam district, once in 15 days,” the bench said.
During the court proceedings, Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Madani, informed the apex court that his client is suffering from various ailments and that the trial against him in Bengaluru is nearly concluded.
Considering these factors, the court deemed Madani's presence in Bengaluru unnecessary and allowed him to relocate and stay in Kollam.
Additionally, Madani was granted permission to leave the Kollam district for medical treatment after informing the local police.
Earlier relaxing his bail condition, the top court had allowed Madani to stay in Kerala for three months till July 8 for visiting his ailing father and getting Ayurveda treatment.
On 26 June, he was taken to Kerala from Bengaluru with tight police security arrangements after the Supreme Court had rejected his plea objecting to the cost of security arrangements.
Later, he deposited Rs 6,74,101 to the Karnataka Government in advance for security arrangements.
Madani, an accused in Bengaluru serial bomb blast case, is out on bail. However, the court had given a conditional bail restricting his movements outside Bengaluru until the case is disposed of.
One person was killed and 20 were injured in the Bengaluru serial blasts. Madani was named as one of the accused. The police have named 31 others as accused in connection with the case.
With inputs from agencies