Religious Leader Kalicharan Maharaj Granted Bail In Pune Inflammatory Speech Case

A court in Pune on Friday granted bail to Hindu religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj in a case registered against him for allegedly making inflammatory statements during an event in Pune.

He had been remanded in judicial custody in the case on Thursday and was then sent to jail in Raipur in neighbouring Chhattisgarh where he has been charged under various IPC provisions for abusing Mahatma Gandhi during a religious event held there on December 26.

The court on Friday granted bail to him in the case registered in Pune for allegedly making an inflammatory speech during an event and he has been released on a personal bond of Rs 25,000, his lawyer Amol Dange said.

Kalicharan, Hindu Aghadi leader Milind Ekbote and Captain Digendra Kumar (retired) were booked by Khadak police station here for allegedly making inflammatory statements during a 'Shiv Pratap Din' event, organised on December 19 to commemorate the 1659 killing of Adilshahi commander Afzal Khan by warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Khadak police had registered an FIR under IPC sections 295 (A) (outraging religious feelings), 298 (deliberate intention of wounding religious feelings), and 505 (2) (false statement, rumour made in place of worship, etc, with intent to create enmity).

Pune police had taken the custody of Kalicharan from Chhattisgarh police and had placed him under arrest in this case.