PANJIM: Subham Kar Chaudhari, the 29-year-old environment activist was granted transit anticipatory bail by the High Court of Bombay at Goa. The order came as a major relief to the environmentalist who feared arrest by the Delhi Cyber Crime Cell in connection with its ongoing investigation into farmers’ protest toolkit case.
Justice M S Jawalkar, in her order pronounced on Wednesday, granted him protection for around 10 days from the date of the order till March 12, 2021 to enable him to approach the competent court for seeking appropriate reliefs.
“Reasons for apprehension of arrest is justified in the facts and circumstances set out. Admittedly, FIR is lodged at New Delhi and any regular application for anticipatory bail under Section 438 of CrPC would be considered by the competent Court at Delhi. Therefore, the applicant is entitled for protection by way of granting transit bail to approach to the competent authority for seeking appropriate reliefs… Therefore, in the interest of justice, without going into the merits of the matter, just to enable the applicant to approach the competent authority for seeking appropriate relief, the applicant is granted the relief as prayed,” the Justice observed while granting him temporary relief.
The order further mentioned that in the event of Chaudhari’s arrest, he shall be released on bail on furnishing personal bond in the sum of Rs 50,000 with one or more sureties in the like amount.
Earlier during the hearing, the applicant’s lawyer Advocate Carlos Ferreira reiterated that Chaudhari has nothing to do with the making of the alleged “toolkit” wherein one Nikita Jacob, Shantanu Muluk and Disha Ravi are alleged to have conspired to create the online campaign.
“He has been falsely implicated and has no connection whatsoever in the offences alleged in the said FIR,” the advocate said.
