M M Akbar gets bail

Kochi: Peace Educational Foundation director and Islamic preacher MM Akbar has been granted bail by a court here in a case related to the teaching of textbooks alleged to be propagating communal hatred in Peace International School, Kochi.

The Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court on Friday granted the relief to the Mujahid leader on furnishing two sureties on the condition that he would not leave the country without due permission of the court. He has also been asked to submit his passport at the court and cooperate with the probe.

Akbar is, however, unlikely to be released from custody today as the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court at Irinjalakuda had remanded him in a case registered at Kattur police station in Thrissur. He is likely to move the HC again against the remand.

Earlier, the High Court had stayed the proceedings in the two First Information Reports (FIR) filed against Akbar. The police had registered FIRs at Kottiyam in Kollam, Palarivattom in Ernakulam (based on which he was arrested) and Kattur in Thrissur against Akbar for promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, and language, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony. Akbar had raised objection to two separate cases being charged in different police stations on the same charge after the arrest, and pleaded to turn them down. The cases stayed by the court are those registered in police stations of Kattoor and Kottiyam.

Akbar also pointed out that after the arrest on the Palarivattom case, the police asked for remand on two other cases. He argued that repeating arrest and subsequent action on the same FIR is illegal and so the cases are to be cancelled. There is no record of any act by the petitioner causing religious enmity, pleaded his counsel.

The High Court also asked for the explanation of the government in the matter and will the case again on 15 March.