The Principal District and Sessions Court in Bidar, on Tuesday, heard the bail petitions filed in the sedition case booked against the authorities of Shaheen School after its students staged a play in which some of them delivered dialogues that “insulted” Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Two petitions were filed in the case — one for securing regular bail for Najbunnisa, mother of the child who delivered the controversial dialogue during the play, and Farida Begum, head teacher of the school who supervised the play, who are already in judicial custody, and the other for obtaining anticipatory bail for Abdul Qadir, chairman of Shaheen School and four members of the school management.
After the hearing of both sides ended at around 6.15 p.m., the judge, Managoli Premavati Mallikarjuna, posted the regular bail petition involving Najbunnisa and Farida Begum for Friday for order and the anticipatory bail petition for next Monday for order. The judge, however, asked the Public Prosecutor to file objections before Saturday in the second bail petition case.
Speaking to The Hindu, B.T. Venkatesh, a senior advocate from Bengaluru, who led the defence team of 11 advocates, including eight from Bengaluru, exuded the confidence of securing bail in both the petitions.
“For the petition seeking bail for Najbunnisa and Fareeda Begum, the Public Prosecutor has filed objections and argued for them and the court posted the matter for order on Friday. During the anticipatory bail petition hearing, the Public Prosecutor sought time for filing objections and the court granted it. The matter is posted for hearing next Monday,” Mr. Venkatesh said. He added that neither the language used by the children to criticise the Prime Minister in the play nor the content of the play can be construed to be an act of sedition.