Bangalore court denies bail to Mohammed Haris Nalapad in assault case

Son of Congress MLA NA Haris, Mohammed Haris Nalapad has been denied bail by a Bangalore court in relation to an assault case lodged against him last month..LXII Additional City Civil & Sessions Judge Parameshwara Prasanna B pronounced the verdict today in Court Hall 63 of the City Civil Court complex..It was alleged that on February 19, Nalapad and his friends had brutally assaulted one Vidvat L after an altercation took place at Farzi Café at UB City in Bangalore. After briefly going missing post the incident, Nalapad had voluntarily surrendered to the police on February 20..Amongst others, Nalapad is facing charges under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder). Pursuant to being charged, Nalapad had filed a bail application in the Principal City Civil and Sessions Court..Having heard the parties, the court in its order today observed that there was enough evidence to prima facie show that Nalapad and the other accused committed the offences..“In the factual matrix of this case I am of the considered opinion that there is prima-facie and reasonable ground at this stage for believing that the petitioner and other co-accused have committed the alleged offences. Among the offences alleged against the petitioner, the offence under section 307 of IPC is punishable with imprisonment for life.”.The judge also noted that the victim was still recovering in hospital, owing to which he could not make his statement..Moreover, the court noted that there was sufficient reason to believe that accused would indulge in tampering of evidence should he be let out on bail..“By considering the nature of accusations against petitioner, nature of evidence in support thereof, the nature of injuries sustained by the victim, pendency of further investigation, reasonable apprehension of witnesses being tampered with and the larger interest of the public and State, I am of the considered opinion that the petitioner is not entitled for bail at least till the completion of investigation….…In case of grant of bail to the petitioner, chances of petitioner causing threat to the prosecution witnesses and chance of his abscondance and chance of he committing similar offences cannot be ruled out.”.Therefore, the court denied Nalapad and seven other accused bail under Section 439 CrPC..During a previous hearing, Senior Advocate Tomy Sebastian, appearing for Nalapad, argued that Vidvat had first attacked Nalapad and his friends, prompting the skirmish..Special Public Prosecutor Shyam Sundar had opposed the bail plea, submitting that the accused had connections with mafia elements. It was also contended that Nalapad and the other accused attempted to murder the victim by beating him with lethal objects. He had further argued that given the influence of the accused’s family, the chances of the evidence being destroyed were very high. After hearing the parties, the judge had reserved his order in the plea..A few days back, Sundar had approached the Commissioner of Police to get protection for his family and himself, after he was subjected to threats from unknown persons..The case has grabbed the attention of the local media given Nalapad’s political ties; he is a youth leader of the Congress party. His father NA Haris, an MLA of the Shanti Nagar constituency, had apologised publicly for his son’s behaviour..Shyam Sundar spoke to media after Nalapad’s bail petition was rejected..Read the order: