2019 Gadchiroli IED blast case: Satyanarayana Rani continues in jail despite getting bail more than a year ago
Satyanarayana Rani, husband of Naxalite leader Narmadakka, remains in jail despite being granted bail over a year ago due to inability to furnish sureties.
MUMBAI: Satyanarayana Rani, purported husband of Naxalite leader Narmadakka, who was arrested in connection with the May 2019 IED blast in Gadchiroli district in which 15 members of the Quick Response Team of the Maharashtra police and their vehicle driver were killed, continues to languish in jail despite being granted bail by the Bombay high court around one-and-half year back.
Advocate Payoshi Roy, who represented the 73-year-old resident of Thimapur, Telangana on Wednesday informed the division bench of justice Revati Mohite Dere and justice Gauri Godse that he has not been able to furnish sureties to avail bail and therefore she would file an application for modification of the bail condition related to sureties.
On May 1, 2019, a powerful IED (Improvised Explosive Device) blast took place under the bridge on Purada-Kurkheda Road in Gadchiroli district. The blast targeted a vehicle carrying QRT members and killed 15 QRT members and the civilian driver of the vehicle.
Rani was arrested by the Maharashtra police in Hyderabad on June 11, 2019. A week after his arrest, the police searched his house in Hyderabad and allegedly seized several electronic items and an amount of ₹10.32 lakh. On June 24, 2019, the case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The police arrested Rani claiming that he is also known as Kiran Kumar or Kiran and that his wife - Naxalite leader Narmadakka was a member of the banned CPI(M), and he had attended a conspiracy meeting held in July 2018 in her presence in which the banned group had decided to take revenge of Kasnasur-Boriya encounter of April 2018, in which 40 naxals were killed by the Gadchiroli police.
On July 15, 2022, the high court, however, refused to believe in the prosecution story and granted bail to the 73-year-old. The court had noted that the witness statements recorded by the investigating agencies stated that Kiran had attended the conspiracy meeting with Narmadakka, but there was no evidence to suggest that Rani was the person who was known in Naxalite circles as Kiran Kumar or Kiran or that he was the husband of the Naxalite leader.
Additionally, the court had ordered Rani to be released on bail since the 73-year-old had severe ailments and restricted mobility as he suffered from cerebral cavernoma, a condition where a cluster of abnormal blood vessels is formed in the brain leading to tremors, seizures, severe headaches and hemorrhages in the brain. “In these circumstances, continuing to incarcerate the appellant in jail would only endanger his life and health,” the court had said while ordering Rani to be released on bail on furnishing a personal bond of ₹1 lakh and one or two sureties in the same amount to the satisfaction of the special NIA court.
Rani, however, continues to languish in jail, as he could not furnish the sureties.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.
Stay updated with all the Breaking News and Latest News from Mumbai. Click here for comprehensive coverage of top Cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and more across India along with Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News.