Court Grants Bail to TMC Leaders Amid EC Protest Charges

In a significant legal development, Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday granted bail to prominent TMC leaders such as Derek O'Brien, Sagarika Ghosh, and Saket Gokhale in connection with their protest outside the Election Commission of India scheduled for 2024. The court proceedings saw the presence of nine accused in person, while leader Vivek Gupta participated via video conference.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal sanctioned bail to five sitting MPs on personal bonds of Rs 10,000 each. The other accused obtained bail on the same bond terms, plus an additional surety. The magistrate noted that bail was granted as the charge sheet was filed without any arrests, and all necessary bonds, except those for Vivek Gupta, were duly furnished and accepted. The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 21.

On April 21, summonses were issued to 10 TMC leaders, including MPs Derek O'Brien, Mohd. Nadimul Haque, Dola Sen, Saket Gokhale, and Sagarika Ghosh, following the court's examination of the charge sheet and a complaint lodged by Delhi Police regarding the April 8 protest outside the Election Commission. The protest, held in defiance of Section 144, resulted in charges under Sections 188, 145, and 34 of the IPC for unlawful assembly and disobedience of public orders.

(With inputs from agencies.)