Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Saturday ordered temporary release of Ranjeet Singh, son of now deceased BJP leader Sardar Tara Singh to perform the last rites of his father. The HC has further allowed Ranjeet, one of the prime accused in the multi-crore Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank scam case, to even meet his family and to perform the rituals on the 13th day of his father's demise.
A bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal took up Singh's plea for hearing on Saturday, which is usually a holiday for the HC, on "humanitarian" grounds.
Singh through his counsel Nishant Katneshwarkar had petitioned the HC seeking temporary bail citing the death of his father the multiple-time MLA from city's Mulund area.
However, the judge said he isn't inclined to grant such a relief to Singh.
"Though this application is preferred for temporary bail; without considering merits of the matter, I am not inclined to grant temporary bail to Singh. However, on purely humanitarian grounds I am inclined to permit him to attend the funeral and to perform final rites, with escorts," Justice Kotwal said.
"I am also inclined to allow him to meet his family on one more day and then attend the religious ceremonies on the 13th day," the judge added while order in the jail authorities to follow all the precautions and protocols in place, in view of Covid19 pandemic.
All the protocols, precautions, rules and regulations applicable in this situation of COVID-19 pandemic shall be scrupulously followed by the jail authorities, escorts, medical officers as well as Singh, the court said in its orders.
"The jail authorities shall ensure that the health and safety of other inmates of the prison are not compromised. On humanitarian ground, the cost of escorts shall be borne by the Maharashtra government," Justice Kotwal ordered.
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