KOCHI: In an interesting verdict, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday imposed a condition while granting bail to an accused in former professor T J Joseph's palm chopping case that he should not use any means of communication including mobile phone or any other communication system of others during the bail period.
The court also restrained the accused in using social media.
The court issued the order on the bail plea of Azeez Odakkali, Pallipady, Ernakulam, 33rd accused in the case. Ernakulam NIA Special court had dismissed the bail plea of the petitioner. According to the accused, the further investigation by NIA against him had completed after he surrendered before the court.
The case involves chopping off the right palm of Joseph, a former professor of Malayalam in the Newman College, Thodupuzha, Idukki, July, 2010.
The trial against the accused has not yet commenced. He surrendered before the court on March 3, 2016, and he is under judicial custody for the last two years and three months. The allegation was against
him that he was one of the conspirators of the crime.
The court said that further detention of the petitioner in judicial custody would not serve any purpose and hence bail was granted. The court directed him to execute a bond of Rs 5 lakhs with two solvent sureties each for the like sum.
He should not leave the territory of the village in which his residential house is situated, except for the purpose of reporting before either the NIA or Special Court, Ernakulam. The accused should not
use any means of communication including a mobile phone for any such purpose.
He should not use a mobile phone or any instruments of communication belonging to any other persons during the bail period. He should not make any open declaration, press meeting, media/channel discussion or discussion or communication through social media, either directly or indirectly, and shall not indulge in any open discussion/seminar, during the bail period.
If the bail conditions violated by the accused, the NIA is at liberty to approach the special judge seeking to cancel the bail.