A Delhi court has granted bail to Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad two months after he was arrested in the aftermath of an agitation against the demolition of a Ravidas temple in the capital’s Tughlakabad area. The protest, which took place on August 21, was against the Supreme Court-mandated demolition of the Ravidas temple. Azad and his Bhim Army led a march in Tughlakabad, following which police picked up 96 protesters. On Saturday, Additional Sessions Judge Neera Bharioke granted bail to Azad on furnishing personal bond and surety bond in the sum of Rs 20,000 each after the judge observed that the co-accused have been granted bail in the matter. So far, out of the 96 people who were arrested, 94 gave been granted bail. However, Azad refused to leave jail until the remaining two co-accused were granted bail. “He has told us that he would wait until every man accused in the case is set free. The court has imposed certain conditions for the bail which will be followed. We had argued that Azad would not hamper the investigation,” Azad’s lawyer Suraj Mohan Arya told The Sunday Express. The conditions imposed by the court include not indulging in any activity that will hamper the investigation or tamper with evidence. The court has also said that Azad will not be permitted to leave the country, asked him to submit his passport, if any, with the court, and to mark his presence with the local police station once a fortnight until the chargsheet is filed. Delhi Police had opposed Azad’s bail, saying he “wilfully participated in a violent unlawful agitation and protest which caused damage to public property and injury to public servant”. The police told the court that if Azad is released on bail, he will flee as he resides in another state and return to continue the agitation. Tihar jail officials said they were yet to receive Azad’s bail order from the court. “If his bail order comes, we will consider our next option. It has come to light that Azad is facing trial in other cases in Saharanpur and we may shift him to Saharanpur jail,” a Tihar official said. The bail granted to Azad comes a week after he, through his Twitter profile, had announced that he was sitting on a hunger strike after Tihar jail authorities denied them permission to celebrate Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti.
