'Photographs Disclose Policemen Pelting Stones On The Crowd', Karnataka HC Grants Bail To Anti-CAA Protesters [Read Order]
Live LawObserving that "Investigation appears to be mala fide and partisan," the Karnataka High Court has granted bail to 22 people booked by the Mangalore police on allegations of violence and attack on police during anti-CAA protests in Mangaluru on December 19, 2019. Justice John Michael Cunha, while granting bail to the accused said; "In an offence involving large number of accused, identity and participation of each accused must be fixed with reasonable certainty. Commenting on the evidence collected by the investigating agency the court said; "The material collected by the Investigating Agency does not contain any specific evidence as to the presence of any one of the petitioners at the spot; on the other hand, omnibus allegations are made against the Muslim crowd of 1500 – 2000, alleging that they were armed with weapons like stones, soda bottles and glass pieces. It said "Even though the law required the police to register independent FIRs in view of the specific complaint made against the police officers making out cognizable offences, the respondent police have failed to register FIRs which would go to show that a deliberate attempt is underway to cover up police excesses by implicating innocent persons at the whims and caprice of the police.