Kochi: Kerala High Court on Tuesday asked two LDF activists who participated in the protest against finance minister K. M. Mani presenting the Budget to deposit Rs 50,000 each for damaging public property.
Justice Babu Mathew P. Joseph granted bail to Sanjay Varma and Manu John on stringent conditions.
The Thiruvananthapuram natives are the sixth and seventh accused booked under CrPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and sections of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
The protesters caused losses to the government to the tune of Rs 10 lakh by setting fire to the police bus in the State capital on the Budget presentation day.
They were also involved in a case of pelting stones at a police bus. The petitioners said they were in jail since their arrest on April 4 and the charges against them were false.
“Considering the facts and circumstances, the stage of the investigation and the fact that no criminal antecedents have been reported against the petitioners, the petitioners can be granted bail,” the court observed.
Apart from the deposit the court asked the duo to execute a bond for Rs. 25,000 with two solvent sureties for the like sum.
The court made it clear that if the petitioners are acquitted of the offences under PDDP Act after the trial, they would be entitled to receive back the deposited money.
