Madhya Pradesh High Court Grants Bail to Muslim Teenager Accused of ‘Spitting’ on Religious Procession

In a significant development, the Madhya Pradesh High Court granted bail to 18-year-old Adnan Mansoori, a Muslim teenager whose house was demolished following his arrest on charges of allegedly ‘spitting’ on a Hindu religious procession. The bail was issued over 150 days after his arrest on Monday, December 15, as reported by the news website Article 14.

Adnan Mansoori, along with two minors, was arrested by Madhya Pradesh police on July 17, 2023, accused of spitting water on Mahakal ki Sawari, a Hindu religious procession passing by their house. The court’s decision to grant bail came after witnesses denied supporting the prosecution and the police claims.

The house of Adnan Mansoori’s father, Ashraf Hussain Mansoori, was demolished by the police a day after the arrests, deeming it a “dangerous structure.”

While the two minors were granted bail in September 2023 by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Adnan’s case lingered until now. The court found fault with the justice board’s handling of the minors’ case, citing a “jurisdictional error and illegality.”

The arrests were made based on a complaint filed by Sawan Lot, accusing the three individuals of spitting on the religious procession. However, during court depositions, Lot and another witness, Ajay Khatri, denied witnessing the incident. Lot claimed he was misquoted by the police and did not witness the alleged spitting incident.

In a written statement, Lot mentioned signing papers without knowing their contents and clarified that he did not know what was written in the FIR. Khatri also stated that he was unable to identify the accused and was misquoted by the police.

The demolition of Adnan’s house, conducted amidst drum beats and cheers, stirred controversy. A backdated notice was pasted half an hour before the police arrived to demolish the building, rendering the Mansoori family and others homeless.

The court’s decision to grant bail to Adnan Mansoori raises questions about the handling of the case and the aftermath, including the demolition of the accused’s residence.