Bidar sedition case: Two women get conditional bail

They were arrested on Jan. 30; they are likely to be released from Bidar jail on Saturday

Principal District and Sessions Court in Bidar on Friday granted conditional bail to Nazbunnisa and Fareeda Begum who were arrested on January 30 on sedition charges.

The sedition case was filed against the Shaheen School management in connection with children staging a play as part of their annual day celebrations on January 21, in which a character had allegedly delivered a dialogue “insulting” Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ms. Nazbunnisa was arrested for “teaching” the controversial dialogue to her 11-year-old daughter who delivered it and Ms. Fareeda Begum, the headmistress of the school, for allowing the controversial performance.

The judge, Managoli Premavati Mallikarjuna, granted bail upon executing a personal bond for ₹1 lakh with two sureties for the like sum. Among the bail conditions is that the accused should appear before the investigating officer as and when called upon and extend cooperation in investigation. The order also said that the accused shall appear before the court concerned on all the dates of the hearing, unless prevented by any genuine cause.

The two women are likely to be released from Bidar jail on Saturday. B.T. Venkatesh, senior counsel from Bengaluru, argued for the accused during the final hearing of the bail petition on Tuesday.