Court refuses bail to co-accused in Munawar Faruqui case

The Indore district court onTuesday rejected for the sccond time the bail plea of a 23-year-old man arrested alongwith stand-up comedian MunawarFaruqui following a comedy show.Sadaqat Khan 23, accused of being involved in theshows organization, moved the sessions court seeking bail onthe basis of parity similar circumstances as Faruqui wasgranted interim bail by the Supreme Court four days ago.Additional Sessions Judge Yatindra Kumar Guru,however, rejected his plea.

The Indore district court onTuesday rejected for the sccond time the bail plea of a 23-year-old man arrested alongwith stand-up comedian MunawarFaruqui following a comedy show.

Sadaqat Khan (23), accused of being involved in theshow's organization, moved the sessions court seeking bail onthe basis of ''parity'' (similar circumstances) as Faruqui wasgranted interim bail by the Supreme Court four days ago.

Additional Sessions Judge Yatindra Kumar Guru,however, rejected his plea. His first bail application hadbeen rejected by the court on January 11.

Khan, a Mumbai-based civil engineer, is in a localjail since January 3 following his arrest. Of six personsarrested in the case, only Faruqui and another accused -- whowas found to be a minor -- are out on bail.

The Additional Sessions Judge, in the order passed onTuesday, cited some past Supreme Court rulings and said thegrant of bail would not be justified under the law.

Khan's lawyer Surendra Kumar Verma presented theFebruary 5 order of the Supreme Court granting bail toFaruqui, and said his client should get bail ''on the basis ofjudicial parity''.

But Additional Public Prosecutor Sanjay Sharmaobjected, saying the order passed by the apex court inFaruqui's case was interim, and Khan can not invoke theprinciple of parity on its basis.

Comedian Faruqui (32) and five others involved inorganizing a show here on January 1 were arrested following acomplaint by Eklavya Singh Gaud, son of local BJP MLA MaliniLaxman Singh Gaud.

The MLA's son alleged that objectionable comments weremade about Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shahduring the show.