Bidar: A local court in Bidar on Friday granted bail to headmistress and parent who have been in judicial custody in Bidar jail since 30 January on charges of sedition.
The court has directed the jail authorities to release the women on furnishing a surety of a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh each. They are expected to be released from prison by Saturday evening after due procedure.
After hearing arguments on 11 February, judge Managoli Premavathi had posted bail order in the case for Friday, at the Bidar District and Sessions court.Advocate Keshavrao said had argued the matter before the court, upon which the court has granted bail.
Advocates representing the two women had argued that the case was politically motivated and nothing said in the play promoted disaffection towards the government.
Fareeda Begum, headmistress of Shaheen Urdu Primary School and Najbunnisa, a single mother, have been in custody at the Bidar Central Prison and Correction Services for over two weeks over a ‘seditious’ play criticising CAA-NRC.
The Karnataka HC on Friday has also issued a notice in the PIL that sought action against Bidar police for illegally and repeatedly questioning minors in this case. The state government has been given time till 19 February to file its response.
Ahead of the bail order, former CM and Congress leader Siddaramaiah was in Bidar to meet the arrested women as well as authorities of Shaheen Educational Institution on Friday.