Rajasthan HC grants bail to Mohammad Javed in Kanhaiya Lal murder case

New Delhi: A division bench of the Rajasthan High Court on Thursday granted bail to Mohammad Javed, one of the accused in the brutal murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal.

Mohammad Javed is accused of doing recce in this case.

Kanhaiya Lal was murdered in June 2022 in what was described as a targeted attack following his social media support for former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's alleged comments on the Prophet Muhammad. 

The incident, which involved beheading and was recorded and circulated online by the assailants, led to national outrage and calls for justice.

Mohammad Javed was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the case, accused of conducting reconnaissance for the main perpetrators, Riyaz Attari and Ghouse Mohammad, who carried out the murder. 

The NIA had re-registered the case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), indicating the gravity of the crime in the eyes of the law.

The bail was granted on a bond of Rs 2 lakh and a surety of Rs 1 lakh each.

The court found sufficient grounds to believe that Javed's continued detention was not necessary at this stage of the proceedings. The prosecution had opposed the bail, citing Javed's alleged involvement in the planning of the murder, but the court's decision underscores the principle of bail being a rule and jail an exception in Indian jurisprudence.