1 week Ago
Pune: The court of additional sessions judge AL Tikle on Wednesday granted bail to eight women arrested in the March 9 protest by NCP (SP) workers on the Pune Metro rail tracks near the PMC station. The women were released on furnishing a personal bond of Rs25,000 each with one or two sureties of the like amount. They were told to mark attendance at the Shivajinagar police station every Monday for a month.
In his order, Tikle observed that the provision of section 74 of the Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act was not applicable against the accused because it is related to maliciously wrecking a train causing sabotage, which is punishable by up to a death sentence. The judge said the invoking of provisions of section 79 (dealing with endangering the safety of persons travelling by Metro railway by rash or negligent act or omission) of the Act was doubtful because no one had sustained serious injuries. Defence lawyers Sachin Zalte-Patil and Pushkar Durge argued for bail because no damage was caused to the Metro railway tracks, as the protest was conducted peacefully.
The lawyers said that being women, the workers were entitled to claim bail as per the provisions of section 480 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. Their detention in judicial custody at Yerawada prison was not essential as investigations could be completed by imposing certain conditions. The prosecution had opposed the bail pleas of the protesters because they disrupted Metro services for two hours, inconveniencing commuters.
The protesters were found in possession of petrol when they were taken into custody..
