The Supreme Court said that being granted bail should not be considered an acquittal. (data map)
Supreme Court cracks down on post-bail celebration rallies, stressing such events could intimidate witnesses
It has become common for politicians to hold rallies after being released from prison. In view of this, the Supreme Court recently said that being granted bail should not be regarded as innocence and celebrations after being released on bail may intimidate witnesses.
The Supreme Court's opinion on Thursday comes after an accused in Maharashtra recently held a road show to celebrate his release, which inconvenienced commuters.
The bail of accused Sopan Gade was first rejected by the Bombay High Court in the 2013 murder case. After more than a decade in jail, he was granted bail by the Supreme Court. As soon as bail was granted, celebrations erupted in the streets. That prompted the judge to threaten to revoke his bail in a recent ruling.
Gade's carefully planned road show featured 100 to 150 four-wheelers and 70 to 80 bicycles, causing a lot of inconvenience to commuters. Complainant Asif Khan filed a petition in the Supreme Court. Khan said before a bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan that the highway was blocked for about five to six hours due to Gade's road show.
The Supreme Court judge expressed dissatisfaction after hearing the incident, saying that Guade had become accustomed to holding rallies with supporters after being released on bail. When the judge asked Guade's lawyer about this, he responded that the march was started by Guade's supporters and not themselves. The judge instructed Gade to apologize for his actions and promise not to repeat the same mistakes in the future.
