Sena leader Sarpotdar gets bail in Mumbai riots case

A court on Friday granted bail to senior Shiv Sena leader and former Member of Parliament Madhukar Sarpotdar, who has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment in a 1992-93 riot case in Mumbai.

Admitting his appeal against the conviction, Sessions Judge R D Jadhav allowed the bail against a surety of Rs 15,000 and suspended the sentence until the matter is decided by the court.

Sarpotdar was found guilty in the 16-year-old case by a Magistrate's Court here on July 9.

The Sena leader was held guilty under Section 153(A) of the Indian Penal Code for giving inflammatory speeches aimed at inciting enmity between two communities.

He had led a group of about 500 persons from the Ganesh Utsav Samiti Mandal in suburban Kherwadi to re-install a Ganesh statue damaged during riots in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition.

Sarpotdar was also charged with shouting slogans against a minority community, which apparently incited thegroup that had gathered outside a religious place.

Stating that there was no communal intention in carrying out 'Ganesh aarti' in suburban Bandra, Sarpotdar sought suspension of his conviction.