The High Court has disposed of the petition filed by Telugu poet Varavara Rao after the state government gave an undertaking that Rao will not be arrested till an application is filed before the High Court of Bombay or National Investigation Agency (NIA) court and order is passed.
Rao is on conditional bail in the Bhima Koregaon case and one of the conditions restricts his travel beyond the jurisdiction of the NIA court in Mumbai. Varavara Rao, 81, is accused in the Venkatammana Halli blast case of 2005 in Pavagada taluk.
The additional district and sessions court of Tumakuru (sitting in Madhugiri) had issued a non-bailable warrant against him. Rao challenged this order dated February 11, 2022, with regard to the warrant of arrest.
State public prosecutor V S Hegde, representing the Thirumani police, said that grave allegations had been pressed against Rao in relation to the case and he is required to face trial.
The prosecutor assured the court that Rao will not be arrested till orders are passed on his application seeking relaxation of the bail condition only to face trial. Considering these submissions, Justice M Nagaprasanna disposed of the petition.
The Venkatammana Halli incident had happened on the night of February 10, 2005, when Naxals had gunned down seven KSRP constables and a civilian at a government school in the village.
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