Court grants anticipatory bail to five Hindu leaders

Five persons including two BJP functionaries, booked in connection with the stone-pelting incident during a funeral procession of an RSS worker in Bantwal near here have been granted anticipatory bail by a court here.
Besides, Bajrang Dal Convenor Sharan Pumpwell, state Gau Raksha Pramukh Muralikrishna Hasanthadka, district co-convenor Pradeep Pumpwell, BJP backward morcha state secretary Satyajith Suratkal and BJP Yuva Morcha district leader Harish Poonja secured anticipatory bail in the case.
A case under section 308 of IPC was registered against the leaders for allegedly instigating stone pelting during the funeral procession of RSS worker Sarath Madiwala, on July 9 in Bantwal.

The leaders had been directed by the court to sign theregister at Bantwal town police station twice a week and notto move around in the area coming under the police station limitsexcept for signing at the station.
Meanwhile, the Dakshina Kannada district administration had decided to lift the prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code in Bantwal taluk with the situation becoming near-normal in the region.
However, Deputy Commissioner K G Jagadeesh said ban orders under Section 35 of Karnataka Police Act would continue to be in force in the taluk till July 28 midnight as a precautionary measure.