What the court has to bear in mind is not only the rights and liberties of the accused but also the threat to safety of civil society when deciding the bail pleas of persons accused of terrorist activities, said the High Court of Karnataka.
“The argument of possible threat to the witnesses also cannot be casually discounted. This apart, there are protected witnesses too, who are waiting to depose in the criminal prosecution; it is the duty of the court to ensure their safety as well,” the court observed.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Krishna S. Dixit and Justice Pradeep Sing Yerur made these observations while rejecting the second petition seeking bail filed by one Imran Ahmed, 40, an accused in the criminal case registered in connection with large-scale violence at K.G Halli-D.J. Halli localities of Bengaluru city on August 11, 2020.
