HC grants bail to four former Maruti Suzuki workers

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday granted bail to four former Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) workers serving five-year jail term in connection with the 2012 Maruti factory rioting and violence case, said a defence lawyer.

After hearing arguments from both defence and prosecution, a bench comprising Justice S.S. Saron and Justice H.S. Madan issued the bail order.

Senior Advocate Vrinda Grover argued for the workers as defence lawyer, while Advocate Vikas Pahwa objected the move.

The court of Gurugram's Additional District and Sessions Judge R.P. Goel had on March 18 awarded life imprisonment to 13 former workers of the MSIL in connection with the July 18, 2012 Maruti factory rioting and violence case.

The court had also sentenced four accused -- Jogender, Iqbal, Ramshabd Morya and Pradeep Kumar -- to five-year imprisonment, while for the remaining 14 accused, it said that the sentence already served by them was sufficient.

On March 10, the Additional District and Sessions Judge's court had held 31 former workers guilty of murder and attempt to murder, among other offences, at the MSIL's Manesar plant.

Maruti Suzuki Human Resource Department General Manager Ashwin Kumar Dev was burnt alive and over 50 persons were injured in the violence. Several policemen had also received injuries.

The guilty were placed in three categories, comprising 13, 14 and four workers, depending on the charges proved against them.

--IANS

pradeep/nir/dg