Poet Varavara Rao moves HC against non-bailable warrant

The case in which Rao has been made an accused is related to an attack by the Naxalites on a police team killing six of them and a civilian at Venkatammanahalli in Pavagada Taluk in Tumakuru district on February 10, 2005. The poet is currently on bail on medical grounds in the Elgar Parishad case.

Bengaluru:Telugu poet Varavara Rao has moved the Karnataka High Court challenging the non-bailable warrant issued against him by the trial court in Madhugiri of Tumakuru district in connection with the 2005 police massacre case. The warrant was issued after Roa failed to appear in court on October 21.

The case in which Rao has been made an accused is related to an attack by the Naxalites on a police team killing six of them and a civilian at Venkatammanahalli in Pavagada Taluk in Tumakuru district on February 10, 2005. The poet is currently on bail on medical grounds in the Elgar Parishad case.

The appeal has been made on the grounds that Varavara Rao's movement was restricted by the Mumbai High Court. "Therefore in view of the high court order he could not appear before the court," he stated.

On the date of the hearing, an exemption application was filed that was erroneously dismissed and the NBW was issued. Therefore, this petition has been filed to set aside the order by the Madhugiri court, he said.

Apart from Varavara Rao, another activist-poet Gaddar is also among the accused. Rao is alleged to have links with Naxals who carried out the attack on police personnel in which eight people were killed, including a civilian, on February 5, 2005, at Venkatammanahalli village near Pavagada in Tumakuru district.

Earlier, Rao was arrested in the Bhima Koregaon violence case. Later, he was given bail for six months on medical grounds.

When Varavara Rao was released in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, the Madhugiri court issued a body warrant. "Now he has to appear. There is a direction that he should not leave the jurisdiction of Mumbai airport. His movement was restricted by the Mumbai High Court and he could not appear following which NBW had been issued," advocate Balan explained.

READ:HC says Elgar Parishad accused Varavara Rao needn't surrender till Nov 18

(Agency inputs)