BENGALURU: “Records show that the State government, satisfied with the appellant’s intention to surrender to join the mainstream, has even declared to provide her a monetary package of Rs 7.5 lakh, monthly financial aid of Rs 5,000, skill-building programmes etc, on her surrender. Still, the state had opposed the application before the trial court,” the Karnataka High Court observed.
The division bench of Justice KS Mudagal and Justice Venkatesh Naik T made these observations, granting bail to ex-Naxal Laxmi Poojarthi from Andhra Pradesh, while also setting aside orders passed by a trial court in Udupi, rejecting bail for her in two cases.
Before the High Court, the additional state public prosecutor submitted that in view of the government scheme, the bail application may be considered. Counsel for Laxmi submitted that financial assistance assured to her is also not paid.
She has children, and she and her family has settled down in Anantpur. Two cases were registered against Laxmi in Shankarnarayana police station in 2007 and 2008, under UAPA, Explosives Substances Act and Arms Act.
Laxmi later, she filed the bail applications before the trial court in Udupi, which rejected them, as the state objected to granting bail. On February 2, 2025, Laxmi surrendered before the District Committee for Rehabilitation of Naxalites.She was taken into custody, and later she filed bail applications before the trial court, which were opposed by the state on the grounds that she had indulged in unlawful activities and it was rejected.
The charges made against her were being a member of a Naxal group, affixing handbills and banners conta-ining intimidating messages against Naxals and government. She was also accused of forming an unlawful assembly, armed with guns, trespassing into the house of Narayana Naik assaulting him.