New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine a plea by National Investigation Agency (NIA) challenging bail to 17 accused PFI members in the 2022 murder case of RSS leader Srinivasan in Palakkad district of Kerala.
The matter came up before a bench comprising justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih. The bench issued notice to the accused and sought their response.
During the hearing, the bench was informed that all cases, which included those filed by the accused who were denied bail, were listed for hearing after the bench's order. The bench expressed its discontent that six petitions were not getting listed despite its directions.
"When there is an order of the court directing listing of the cases specifically assigned to this bench the registry cannot defy the order and refuse to list the case on the ground that there was non-compliance with procedural aspects," said the bench and scheduled the matter for further hearing on January 17, 2025.
In June, the Kerala High Court had granted bail to 17 accused PFI members who are also facing trial for allegedly instigating communal violence in the state and other parts of the country.
Granting bail to 17 of the 26 accused, the high court imposed stringent conditions, which include sharing their cell phone numbers and real-time GPS locations with the investigating officer.
