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The grant of relief to the accused was opposed by the prosecution which argued that after the murder of A Sanjith, two more killings took place in that district in April this year and the situation there was volatile. The prosecution contended that in these circumstances, the release of the accused would create a serious law and order problem in that district.
The high court, however, was of the view that since the accused was in detention since January this year and also taking into consideration the nature of allegations against him, he ought to be granted bail. Therefore, the high court allowed him to be released on bail subject to his executing a bond for Rs 50,000 with two solvent sureties each for the like sum.
The high court also directed the accused to cooperate with the trial, not enter the jurisdictional limits of Palakkad district except for appearing before the sessions court, not intimidate or influence witnesses nor tamper with evidence in the case. The high court made it clear that violation of any of these conditions could lead to the cancellation of bail of the accused.
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A Sanjith (27) was hacked to death on November 15 last year while he was taking his wife to her workplace. Police later arrested several persons, including an officer-bearer of the Popular Front of India (PFI), in the case.
The BJP and Sangh Parivar organisations have alleged that the activists of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political offshoot of PFI, were behind the broad daylight murder. Subsequently, the police, during its investigation into the murder of PFI leader Subair (43) in Palakkad in April this year, found that he was killed to allegedly avenge the murder of Sanjith.
Police had also claimed that the PFI leader was killed by RSS workers who were friends of Sanjith. Seven persons have been arrested in the Subair murder case.
Subair’s murder on April 15 had led to the retaliatory killing of RSS leader S K Srinivasan (45) on April 16 in Palakkad, police had said.