Pune serial blast accused Munib Memon granted bail by Bombay HC

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Munib Memon (42) was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on Friday after 12 years of incarceration in connection with the 2012 Pune serial blast case. Memon, a tailor, was arrested by the Maharashtra ATS for allegedly planting a bomb at the Deccan Gymkhana in Pune, one of the four locations targeted in the blasts on August 1, 2012. It was alleged that the bombs were planted in retaliation for the murder of Indian Mujahideen member Qateel Siddiqui in Pune's Yerwada jail.

Memon's bail application was previously rejected by the Bombay High Court in 2022. The court had directed that the trial be expedited and concluded by 2023, but this did not occur. Memon, through his advocate Mubil Solkar, filed a fresh bail application earlier this year, which was granted by the bench of Revati Dere and Sharmila Deshmukh on Friday.

"As the court directed the trial to be concluded by December 2023, and that did not happen, we filed a fresh bail application. Our main argument was that he was arrested in 2012, and his prolonged incarceration is unjust, especially since the trial is not nearing completion. His fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution are being violated due to the lack of a speedy trial. This prolonged incarceration without resolution is a valid ground for granting bail, and the court accepted our arguments. We are now awaiting the detailed court order," said Advocate Mubil Solkar in a statement to Mid-Day.

In his bail application, Memon asserted his innocence and claimed he was falsely implicated in the case. The Maharashtra ATS, which investigated the matter, has arrested eight individuals, including Memon. The other accused are Asad Khan, Imran Khan, Firoz Sayyed, Irfan Landge, Farooq Bagwan, Kashif Bigabani, and Aslam Jagirdar. According to the ATS, four low-intensity blasts occurred in Pune on August 1, 2012, injuring one person, while bombs planted at two other locations were defused. The ATS claimed that the Indian Mujahideen was behind the blasts.