The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Monday ordered the release of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders Ashok Singhal and Pravin Togadia and former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti, who were arrested on Sunday while attempting to participate in the VHP’s banned “Chaurasi Kosi Parikrama Yatra” in Ayodhya.
Mr Singhal was released Monday evening and returned to New Delhi, but the other two — Pravin Togadia and Ram Vilas Vedanti — were on their way to Etah jail from Faizabad jail on transit remand when the court orders came.
They were released later on Monday along with former BJP MLA Lallu Singh on “personal bonds and assurance of good behaviour”.
Along with them, 958 other VHP activists were also released on Monday.
Uttar Pradesh home secretary Sarvesh Misra told reporters that Mr Singhal, who was arrested in Lucknow on Sunday, had expressed a desire to go to New Delhi and the district authorities had complied with his wishes.
He said earlier in the day that the court directive would be scrutinised regarding Mr Togadia and Mr Vedanti as both had been arrested from Ayodhya where prohibitory orders were in force.
The release was ordered by a division bench comprising Justices Imtiyaz Murtaza and D.K. Upadhayaya on a habeas corpus petition filed by Ranjana Aginihotri, a lawyer, terming the arrests “unlawful”. The court said if no other cases were pending against the three, they should be released immediately.