Mob has no religion: Rajasthan HC's Justice Farjand Ali while granting bail to Islamists accused of attacking Hindus

The Rajasthan High Court on 20th May commented on the challenges of identifying the offenders during communal disturbances and claimed that a mob has no religion. The remarks were passed while the court granted bail to eighteen accused who were part of a crowd that attacked participants in a Hindu religious procession on 19th March in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan which resulted in the death of one individual named Shyam Lal Chheepa later that day, while several others were injured. The judge highlighted, “I have perused the postmortem report of deceased Shyam Lal Chheepa available on the case diary and it does not reveal any internal or external injuries except one simple abrasion of 1.5 cm. Probably the cause of death was a heart attack or Myocardial infarction.” The court finally concluded, “This court would not like to comment on the niceties of the matter at this stage, however, in view of the deliberation and enunciation made in the above order and looking to the fact that the appellants are in judicial custody since long and early culmination of the trial is not a seeming fate, no fruitful purpose would be served by keeping them behind the bars, in the totality of the facts and circumstances of the case, it is deemed appropriate to grant indulgence of bail to the appellants.” The accused were ordered by the court to be released on bail if they were not wanted in any other case, as long as they could satisfy the learned trial court by providing a personal bond of Rs.