Pune serial blast case: Bombay HC grants bail to Munib Memon
Pune serial blast case: Bombay HC grants bail to Munib Memon
Munib Memon, aged 42, was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on Friday after spending 12 years in prison related to the 2012 Pune serial blast case. Memon, who works as a tailor, was arrested by the Maharashtra ATS for allegedly planting a bomb at the Deccan Gymkhana in Pune, one of the four sites targeted during the blasts on August 1, 2012. It was claimed that the bombings were in retaliation for the murder of Indian Mujahideen member Qateel Siddiqui in Yerwada jail in Pune.
Memon’s previous bail request was denied by the Bombay High Court in 2022. The court had instructed that the trial should be expedited and completed by 2023, but that did not happen. Earlier this year, Memon, through his lawyer Mubil Solkar, submitted a new bail application, which was approved by the bench consisting of Revati Dere and Sharmila Deshmukh on Friday.
“Since the court ordered the trial to be completed by December 2023 and that did not occur, we submitted a new bail application. Our key argument was that he has been in custody since 2012, and his lengthy detention is unfair, especially given that the trial is not progressing. His fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution are being infringed due to the lack of a timely trial. This extended detention without resolution is a legitimate reason for granting bail, and the court agreed with our points. We are now waiting for the detailed court order,” said Advocate Mubil Solkar.
In his bail application, Memon maintained his innocence and claimed he was wrongfully implicated in the case. The Maharashtra ATS, which conducted the investigation, has arrested eight individuals, including Memon. The other accused are Asad Khan, Imran Khan, Firoz Sayyed, Irfan Landge, Farooq Bagwan, Kashif Bigabani, and Aslam Jagirdar. According to the ATS, four low-intensity explosions took place in Pune on August 1, 2012, injuring one person, while bombs at two other sites were defused. The ATS alleged that the Indian Mujahideen was responsible for the blasts.
