Justice T. Mallikarjuna Rao of the AP High Court on November 3 instructed former CM N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is out of Rajamahendravaram central jail on medical bail for four weeks till November 28, not to engage in political rallies and public meetings.
It is not a blanket ban or a violation of fundamental rights but rather a reasonable restriction imposed by the court to maintain legal order while causing the least possible interference with Mr. Naidu’s convenience and fundamental rights, the judge said in his verdict on the CID’s plea to include some additional conditions in the interim bail order dated October 31, 2023.
Justice Mallikarjuna Rao turned down the CID’s request to let two officers of DSP rank to accompany Mr. Naidu for the sake of monitoring and submitting regular reports to the court.
In that regard, the judge agreed with the argument made on Mr. Naidu’s behalf, that the court was empowered to lay down conditions in pursuit of justice in accordance with Section 437 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), but such conditions should not jeopardize the liberty of the accused.
The conditions should serve as a guide for the administration of justice, aiming to strike a balance between the accused’s freedom and the interests of justice instead of hindering the former, it was observed.
