Abdul Sammad Bhatkal, who was picked up from the Mangalore airport by the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad for his alleged role in an arms case and also the Pune blasts case, was granted bail by the Mumbai sessions court on Tuesday.
Besides ordering conditions while granting bail, the court ordered him to furnish Rs 25,000 as surety.
The argument put forth by Sammad's legal team was that the case was a non-starter since day one. He had been accused of supplying arms to three Chota Shakeel men who were arrested in Mumbai a couple of years ago. However, the three main accused were released on bail. It was in this case that a lookout notice was issued against him.
On his arrest, the police also charged him as a suspect in the Pune blasts case. It was stated that the face that was captured on the CCTV matched to his and hence he was being questioned in the case.
However, the ATS never managed to dish out enough proof against Sammad. His family members, on an earlier occasion, had told rediff.com that he was very much with them attending a wedding in Bhatkal when the incident occurred. They even gave out photographic evidence of the same. Further, it was contended that Sammad was only a bait to apprehend his brother Yaseen Bhatkal.
There had been uproar in Bhatkal following Sammad's arrest. The family contended that he had been working in Dubai and had come down to Mangalore to renew his visa on May 24 when he was picked up.
Meanwhile, Sammad has been told not to leave the country without the court's permission. Also, his passport will remain with the investigating officer.
Photograph: Abdul Sammad (the man in blue-shirt), with his family.
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