The Meghalaya High Court has granted bail to 17 Bangladeshi nationals who were jailed in Jowai prison since June this year.
The Bangladeshi nationals who included four women who had five minor children were arrested on June 15 after police intercepted a tourist vehicle proceeding from Dawki towards Pynursla. All of them were sent to prison.
The arrested persons, in due course, moved an application for grant of bail before the Judicial Magistrate First Class at Amlarem, West Jaintia Hills District.
In his order passed on August 20, the Judicial Magistrate First Class allowed the detainees to be released on bail with imposition of certain conditions. One of the conditions is for execution of a personal bond of Rs 20,000 with two sureties of like amount.
The Bangladeshi nationals later moved the High Court through their lawyer J Shylla with a plea for modification of the condition since they are able to find only one person, who has consented to stand surety for them.
Today, the High Court decided to keep the order of the Judicial Magistrate First Class intact. It however, decided that the only modification to the same would be that instead of two sureties to be provided by the petitioners, only one surety will suffice, provided the petitioners satisfy the trial court as to their solvency, etc.
“The prayer of the learned counsel for the petitioners that one person is sufficient to stand surety for all the petitioners herein, is also found acceptable by this court. Accordingly, in view of the facts and circumstances which have been discussed, these bail applications are hereby disposed of with a direction that the petitioners shall be enlarged on bail on the modified conditions set forth hereinabove to the satisfaction of the learned Judicial Magistrate First Class at Amlarem, West Jaintia Hills District,” the High Court said in its order.
