2008 Bengaluru Bomb Blast Case: Supreme Court Relaxes Bail Condition Of Abdul Nazar Maudany; Allows Him To Stay In Kerala Till July 8

The Supreme Court on Monday relaxed the bail condition for Abdul Nazir Maudany, the chairman of Kerala People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and a prime accused in the 2008 Bengaluru serial bomb blasts case, to allow him to stay in Kerala till July 8, 2023.

As part of bail condition, he was otherwise to stay in Bengaluru till the trial in the blasts case is over.

"Looking to the applicant’s own medical condition as well as his ailing parents who are residing in the State of Kerala, as an interim measure, consider it appropriate to order that the applicant be allowed to visit the State of Kerala for a period upto 8th July, 2023 to meet his ailing parents accompanied by the Karnataka Police Escort and return in the same manner", ordered a Bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela Trivedi.

The bench clarified that Maudany will have to undertake the expenses for the escort to be provided by the Karnataka Police.

While listing the matter on July 10, the Court also granted liberty to the State of Karnataka to file an application seeking Maudany’s presence in the event the judgement is pronounced.

Maudany had approached the Top Court seeking a relaxation of his bail conditions allowing him to live in his hometown in Kerala. This is the second time Maudany is moving such an application on health and other grounds before the top court. His earlier plea was rejected in September 2021.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal and Advocate Haris Beeran appeared for the hearing today, on behalf of Maudany.  

The PDP leader, along with 31 others, was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 for his alleged involvement in a series of bomb blasts on July 25, 2008, in Bengaluru that left one person dead and 20 injured. He was named as the thirty-first accused in a chargesheet filed by the police on the strength of certain confessions made by suspected T. Nazir, Lashkar-e-Taiba operative, linking Maudany to the deadly attacks.

During the previous hearing, Sibal submitted that Maudany had been on bail for 8 years and had maintained good conduct ever since. Since the trial is over, the condition to stay in Bengaluru has lost its relevance. He also pointed out that Maudany’s movement was restricted because of his amputation. The Bench had then agreed to take up the matter today.

Maudany sought the relaxation on the ground that the government’s undertaking assuring that the trial would be concluded within four months from November 2014, had lapsed.  

Case Title: Abdul Nazir Maudany v. State of Karnataka MA 418-426/2023 in SLP(Crl) No. 8084-92/2013

Click here to read the order