Abdul Nasser Madani, the chief of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kerala who is out on bail in the 2008 Bengaluru serial bomb blasts case, will arrive in Kerala on Monday, June 26 after the Karnataka government relaxed some of his bail conditions. One of the initial conditions in his bail was that Madani must not leave Bengaluru till the trial of the case is over. However, on April 17, the Supreme Court of India allowed Madani to visit his home in Kerala till July 8 to visit his ailing father. But Madani couldn’t leave immediately as the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government asked him to bear the expenses for security provided by Karnataka police, which was estimated to amount to nearly Rs 60 lakh.
With these restrictions relaxed, on Monday, Madani left to board a 6 pm flight from Bengaluru, and is expected to arrive at Cochin International Airport around 7 pm. Speaking to the media in Bengaluru before leaving for the airport, Madani said that the exact amount of money that he must pay the Karnataka police for their security during his Kerala visit was yet to be ascertained. “The amount of money that is to be paid to the Karnataka police depends on our travels in Kerala in the next 12 days,” he said.
Madani also said that he was suffering from certain health issues. “My kidney is weak and I might have to undergo dialysis soon. I also suffer a stroke once in a while because of poor blood circulation in the brain. When the court allowed me to visit Kerala for a month in April, I was hoping I could get a medical check-up done and get proper treatment. But now, that is not possible,” he said.
According to a report by The New Indian Express, one of the reasons that could have possibly prompted the Karnataka government to allow Madani’s travel was the support he received from some of the Congress leaders in Kerala.
Madani was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 along with 31 others for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Bengaluru serial bomb blasts. In the blasts, one person was killed and 20 were injured. Madani was also an accused in the Coimbatore blasts in February 1998. He was arrested in the case in March 1998, but was eventually acquitted in 2007.