Abdul Nasser Madani’s plans to visit his home state of Kerala are now uncertain as the Supreme Court has refused to lower the hefty security fee demanded by the Karnataka Police. Madani, accused in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts case, had been granted a three-month relaxation in bail conditions to visit Kerala. However, the Karnataka Police demanded Rs 60 lakh for their officers to accompany Madani, and he will now have to pay at least Rs 54.63 lakh to make his stay in Kerala till July 8 possible.
Madani’s advocate Kapil Sibal argued that his client cannot afford the hefty sum. ‘He’s been on bail for 8 years. Nothing has happened. Why would he be of risk to anybody? He is on a wheelchair,’ Live Law quoted Sibal telling Justice Ajay Rastogi of the Supreme Court bench that heard the plea. The opposing counsel argued that Madani had requested to visit his father, but now his itinerary covers the entire state, and a threat assessment is required.
Madani, who is the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), last visited Kerala in 2018 to see his ailing mother. He had planned to undergo Ayurveda treatment in the coming months. Madani is still on trial in the blast case, and the Supreme Court has permitted him to visit Kerala till July 8.
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