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When caught by the devotees at the temple, Ahmad initially told his name Shiva
The Allahabad High Court at Lucknow Bench recently granted bail to Taufeeq Ahmad, a Muslim man accused of vandalizing idols at a Hindu temple.
Ahmad, who has been in jail since September 8, 2022, was accused of breaking the idol of Shri Shani Dev and damaging the idol of Shri Kapidhwaj Hanuman Ji at a local temple.
After being caught by devotees present at the temple premises, Ahmad had initially told his name as 'Shiva', however, later he was identified as a Muslim man.
The case against Ahmad was filed under Sections 153A/295/419/427/298/505A/332/353 of the IPC and Section 7 of CLA Act at Chowk police station in Lucknow.
Ahmad's counsel, Advocates Samrat Gupta and Mohd Fahim, argued that Ahmad, who had no prior criminal record, had been incarcerated for nearly two years without trial progress.
They also presented medical documents suggesting Ahmad's mental illness.
However, the prosecution, represented by the State's Additional Government Advocate (AGA), contested the claims of mental illness, citing a medical report that indicated otherwise.
Despite this, the bench of Justice Karunesh Singh Pawar, took note of the fact that no prosecution witnesses had been examined thus far.
Citing the Supreme Court's judgment in "Javed Gulam Nabi Shaikh v. State of Maharashtra," the court granted bail, emphasizing the absence of criminal antecedents and the extended pre-trial detention.
Ahmad was ordered to furnish a personal bond and two sureties to the court's satisfaction. Conditions for bail included non-tampering with evidence, non-intimidation of witnesses, and regular court appearances.
Court warned that any violation could result in bail cancellation and additional legal consequences.
Case Title: Taufeeq Ahmad v. State of UP
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