Karnataka High Court grants bail in 3 cases against woman Maoist who surrendered in February

Laxmi approached the high court after a lower court in Udupi rejected her bail application. The trial court refused bail on the grounds that as she had been absconding since 2006, she might again abscond and join a Maoist group to wage war against the state.

Before a bench of Justices K S Mudagal and Venkatesh Naik, which granted her bail on October 27, Laxmi’s counsel argued that the allegations of her involvement had been restricted to circulating Maoist literature and that she had been drawn to the movement at a young age. She had also surrendered before the Udupi deputy commissioner. The counsel also submitted that the state had not paid her the financial assistance it had assured her. The state counsel did not raise objections to this before the court.

The bench also noted that the state had opposed the bail in the trial court while also declaring monetary assistance. “The records show that the State Government itself satisfied with the intention of
appellant’s surrender to join mainstream has even declared to provide her monetary package of Rs 7,50,000/-, monthly financial aid of Rs 5,000/-, skill building programmes for her etc., on her surrender. Still the State had opposed the application before the Trial Court,” the bench said in its order.

The high court granted her bail on condition that she execute a bond for Rs 50,000, appear before the court when required, and avoid tampering with witnesses in the cases.