HUBBALLI: Hindu activist Srikant Poojari, who was arrested by the Hubballi police last week and got bail on Friday, walked out of jail on Saturday evening. Coming out of the jail, Poojari said he was arrested for being a Bajrang Dal activist and it was a conspiracy by the police.
The Town Station police had arrested Poojari, a kar sevak, on December 29 in connection with the violence following the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.
As the arrest was made in the run-up to the consecration of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya, the police’s move evoked a sharp reaction from Hindu outfits. They openly targeted the Congress government in the state, claiming that it was needlessly targeting Hindu activists.
Hindu activists and BJP workers protested demanding the immediate release of Pujari and action against the police inspector who arrested him. But the state government didn’t cow down and stood solidly behind the Hubballi police. On the contrary, Congress leaders accused the BJP of politicising the issue.
The first additional district session court asked Poojari not to tamper with evidences and appear before court for regular hearing of the case. He has also been asked not to travel outside the court’s jurisdiction without its prior permission. After two persons fulfilled the surety bond, Pujari was released from the Hubballi sub-jail on Saturday.
“The police took me by saying they had some work and arrested me later in some case. I don’t know for which case I was arrested,” Pujari said.