The Judicial Magistrate of First Class (JMFC) court on Monday granted bail to founder and working president of the Minorities Democratic Party (MDP) Hamid Engineer who was arrested in connection with the Nagpur violence. Mohammad Hamid Mohammad Hanif, also known as Hamid Engineer, 69, was named in an FIR by the cyber cell of Nagpur police over the March 19 violence in the city following a call by right-wing groups to remove Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb. Engineer was booked under sections, 192 (fabricating false evidence), 196 (using false evidence), 352 (1) (b) (statements promoting enmity), 353 (1) (c) (acts intended to incite violence or disturb public order via internet), 353 (2) of the BNS and relevant sections of the IT Act. Hamid Engineer had approached the court seeking to grant bail on March 26. In his bail application, Hamid Engineer had mentioned that the Nagpur police had alleged that during the period from March 17 to 19 , Engineer had shared online posts inciting communal riots and intended violence against the police force. Engineer argued that the claims were baseless, and also submitted that he had posted about Aurangzeb's tomb on March 16, a day before the violence. In the court, Engineer's lawyer claimed there is no evidence against him, and that he was not connected to the offence. The lawyer also said the investigation is over and nothing is left to be recovered. However, the public prosecutor opposed the bail, calling the charges serious. The prosecutor argued that releasing the accused could lead to more violence and disturb law and order. He also claimed the accused instigated the violence in Nagpur and might tamper with evidence if freed. The court granted Engineer bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000. Engineer had founded the MDP which has contested elections in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh but has failed to make any significant political inroads. One of his party’s functionaries, Fahim Khan, was also arrested in connection with the Nagpur violence.
