After languishing in jail for more than two months, journalist, social activist and politician Teenmaar Mallanna was on Monday granted bail by the state high court finally after prolonged legal battle.
Acting on a bail petition filed by Mallanna, the high court granted him bail in as many as 32 different cases filed against him by the police in various police stations across the state. The court also struck down six other cases foisted against him.
On August 28, the Chilakalguda police in Hyderabad arrested Mallanna in an alleged extortion case, following a complaint lodged by one Lakshmikanth Sharma, a spiritual leader, who alleged that Mallanna had demanded money.
Initially, the police registered a case under sections 387, 504 of IPC. But during the course of investigation, they added another charge (306 of IPC read with 511) which is an accusation that the accused attempted to drive a person to suicide. He was granted police custody for five days.
Though Mallanna got the bail in the first week of September, he was arrested again in another case filed in Nizamabad after receiving a complaint from a toddy worker for allegedly threatening him.
There were 38 different cases registered against Mallanna in different police stations on various charges.
Mallanna has been targeted by the TRS government, as he had been severely criticising the ruling party and also chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.
He had also unsuccessfully contested MLC elections under graduates’ quota and gave the TRS a virtual run for its money.
During his period in jail, Mallanna’s wife joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. He, too, would be formally joining the saffron party after its release from jail.
