High Court notice to police on Kobad Ghandy's bail plea

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today sought response from the Delhi Police on the bail plea of alleged Naxal leader Kobad Ghandy, facing trial under the anti-terror law, on medical ground.

Issuing notice to the police, Justice G P Mittal sought its response by May 2 on Ghandy's bail plea.

Seeking the court to consider his plea "sympathetically", 65-year-old Ghandy said due to his old age and medical problems including heart ailment and arthritis, he may be granted bail.

"The bail application may be considered sympathetically since besides being a senior citizen, the applicant suffers from multiple ailments including urinary prostate problem, irritable bowel syndrome, heart problem, high blood pressure, arthritis and spondylitis for which he requires constant care and consistent medical attention, which he cannot receive in jail," his petition said.

It said that Ghandy, who is lodged in Tihar jail here, is in custody for over three years and the trial against him is going on in a court and 10 witnesses have been examined so far.

"Most of the remaining witnesses are either formal or police witnesses and there is no apprehension that the applicant might in any way pollute the process of justice," the plea said.

It also said that on July 26, last year, his bail plea was rejected by the sessions court.

Ghandy is being tried for offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and also charges of impersonation, cheating and forgery under various sections of the IPC.

An alumni of the prestigious Doon School, Ghandy was said to be part of the top leadership of erstwhile CPI-ML (People's War Group) from 1981 and allegedly continued as a Central Committee member in CPI (Maoist) and was elected to its Politburo in 2007.

On September 20, 2009, he was arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police for allegedly trying to set up a base for banned outfit CPI (Maoist) in the national capital.