Supreme Court grants Mukhtar Ansari’s son anticipatory bail

“Having regard to the circumstances, more particularly, the offending statements not being attributable to the petitioner but his brother...we direct that in case the petitioner is arrested, he shall be released on furnishing a bail bond of the sum of ₹20,000,” said a bench of justices Hrishikesh Roy and PK Mishra.

The court, which directed Ansari to participate in the trial, issued notice in response to his plea in January. It protected him from arrest in the case lodged based on his brother Abbas Ansari’s speech.

The case was filed over the alleged violation of the model code of conduct and under the Indian Penal Code’s Sections 171F (causing undue influence at an election), 186 (obstructing public servant), 189 (causing injury to public servant), 153A (promoting enmity prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 506 (criminal intimidation).