Calcutta High Court on Monday granted conditional bail to BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari who had been arrested in connection with the death of three persons in a stampede in Asansol on December 14 last year.

A division bench headed by Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked Tiwari to furnish a personal bail bond of Rs 50,000 and not to enter the jurisdiction of the Asansol Municipal Corporation without the court's prior permission.

The BJP leader had been arrested on March 18 in connection with the stampede during the distribution of free blankets in West Burdwan district. The programme was organised by Tiwari and attended by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari as the chief guest.

While granting bail to Tiwari, the division bench held that there was no need to keep Tiwari in custody for interrogation in the case. The court, however, made it clear that Tiwari would have to assist the probe and asked him not to tamper with evidence and threaten any of the witnesses in the case.

Communal violence

The high court has reserved its verdict on a plea that sought a probe by the National Investigation Agency into violent incidents in Howrah, Hooghly and North Dinajpur districts on Ram Navami day. The hearing in the case concluded before a division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam on Monday.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had apprehended during the hearing earlier that incidents of hatred and violence could also take place in the state during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations on April 6. The court had asked the state government to take the help of central force.

Advocate general S.N. Mukherjee informed the court that three companies of central force had been deployed on Hanuman Jayanti and no incidents of violence had taken place.

Srijib Charabarty, the counsel appearing for Adhikari, claimed that the NIA should be asked to conduct a probe into the incidents of violence on Ram Navami.

The advocate general said the government had taken steps in the incidents and those who violated the law were arrested.

After hearing both sides, the division adjourned its verdict in the case.