No more police station visits for Palghar girls

The sessions court on Monday exempted the Palghar girls involved in the Facebook post controversy from visiting the Palghar police station every Wednesday, a condition laid down when the girls were initially arrested and given bail on November 20.

The sessions court on Monday exempted the Palghar girls involved in the Facebook post controversy from visiting the Palghar police station every Wednesday, a condition laid down when the girls were initially arrested and given bail on November 20.

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Sudhir Gupta, counsel for Shaheen Dhada, 21 and her friend, Rinu Srinivasan, 20 had made an application before the sessions court on Tuesday last week stating the bail condition was “illegal.”

“According to the Code of Criminal Procedure, no bail conditions can be imposed if the offence committed is punishable with less than seven years of imprisonment. The sections that the girls were booked under amount to a maximum three years of imprisonment. Hence, the condition laid down by the magistrate’s court when granting them bail was unwarranted,” said Gupta, adding he approached the sessions court as it is authorised to review or modify the orders issued by the magistrate’s court.

Shaheen and Rinu were arrested for allegedly promoting hatred between the masses on November 20 after Shaheen posted an update on her Facebook profile denouncing the Mumbai bandh on November 19 in the aftermath of the demise of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

The girls were produced before a magistrate’s court on the day they were arrested, which released them on a surety of Rs 15,000 each.

Besides, the magistrate’s court had asked the girls to cooperate with the police when requested and visit the Palghar police station every Wednesday between 10 am and 1 pm until a charge sheet was filed.

“Even the police communicated to the sessions court they do not have an objection if the condition was dropped,” said Gupta.