Padmaavat protest: 11 men get bail in Bhondsi violence case

Eleven adults and seven juveniles were held for their alleged involvement in the violent protests that broke out ahead of the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Padmaavat on January 24 in Bhondsi, where a school bus was pelted with stones and a roadways bus set ablaze.

Eleven men accused of violence in the January 24 Bhondsi violence case were granted bail by additional session judge Sandeep Duggal at the district court in Gurgaon on Tuesday. They were arrested for their alleged involvement in the violent protests that broke out ahead of the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Padmaavat on January 24 in Bhondsi, where a school bus was pelted with stones and a roadways bus set ablaze.

A Haryana Roadways bus was set on fire near Bhondsi village in Gurgaon allegedly by activists of Karni Sena, who were protesting against the release of film Padmaavat. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

The police initially arrested 10 adults and apprehended eight juveniles, of whom one was identified as an adult and transferred to the Bhondsi jail. These men were booked under charges of attempt to murder, rioting, snatching, damaging government property and preventing government employees from discharging their duty.

Of the remaining seven juveniles, two were discharged, three granted bail, while two remain in the Faridabad observation home.

“The order (on Tuesday) was passed based on investigations conducted by police officials. Bail was granted since the accused have been in custody for long. Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 379B (snatching) were dropped from the case after the investigation by the police officials,” SS Chauhan, lawyers of the accused, said.

A 12-member team had submitted its report in which they stated that they could not find evidence against the juveniles and adults, the police said.

On March 4, the Gurgaon police had also filed an application at the Juvenile justice board and the district court for the discharging all the accused in the case.

“We have also filed an application for discharge of the five juveniles who are in the observation home and the hearing is on Thursday,” Gurgaon police spokesperson Ravinder Kumar said, adding that after the removal of Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code against the accused, they now face the comparatively mild sections.

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A group of 50 to 60 miscreants had attacked a bus of GD Goenka World School, Sohna Road, on January 24 and set a roadways bus ablaze in Bhondsi

Gurgaon police arrested 10 adults and apprehended eight juveniles from Bhondsi in this regard

The JJ Board issued show cause notice to the Bhondsi SHO on February 9 asked him to explain the circumstances under which the 21-year-old B.Sc final year student was apprehended and produced before the court as a 16-year-old.

21-year-old BSc final year student was transferred to Bhondsi jail from observation home

Two juveniles were discharged from the case on February 16.

Three juveniles were granted bail on February 20 and 27.