Rita house arson: BSP MLA gets bail

The Lucknow District and Session Court on Friday granted bail to BSP MLA Jitendra Singh Babloo and Intezar Ahmed Abidi alias Bobby,chairman of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Ganna Sansthan,both of whom were arrested for arson at the residence of state Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi last month.

Judge Shiva Nand Mishra asked the two accused to furnish a personal bond worth Rs 1 lakh and two sureties each of the same amount.

Defence counsel Mirza Mazhar Abbas said he told the court Babloo and Abidi were innocent and not named in the FIR. Moreover,the house where the arson took place belongs to Kanti Kumar,who had not lodged the FIR.

The photographs and videos did not show the presence of the accused at the scene,he said.