Surat: Protesters clash with police at a rally against incidents of mob lynching (File/PTI Photo)The Surat District Court on Tuesday granted bail to 12 accused arrested for violence during a rally to condemn a mob lynching incident in Jharkhand.
Versatile Minority Forum, a Surat-based NGO, organised peace rally in the city on July 5, to condemn the recent lynching incident of Tabrez Ansari in Jharkhand. A large number of people participated in the march from Badekhan Chakla.
On reaching Nanpura Makkai Bridge Circle, there was a heated argument between the participants and police as the rally was taken out without police permission. In the clashes that followed, two buses, and two police vehicles were damaged. Four police officers suffered minor injuries in stone-pelting.
Surat police lodged complaint against the organisers and 4,000 people on charges of rioting and attempt to murder. President of the NGO, advocate Ishtiyak alias Babu Pathan, and several Congress leaders were among 40 arrested. They were sent to judicial custody at Surat district Central jail at Lajpore.
The 12 accused filed their bail application with the Surat district court on July 8. After hearing the arguments from both sides, the court granted bail to all of them. The judge said that the accused who were granted bail should deposit Rs 6,000 each as penalty for damage to public property.
Defence lawyer Mukhtiar Shaikh said, “The bail application of others will be filed soon.”
