Allahabad, Aug 16 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court on Monday granted bail to former Firozabad MLA Azeem Bhai in a case of setting fire to a bus seat.

The former MLA had been sentenced to 10-year imprisonment in the case by a local court.

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Hearing his bail plea, Justice Ajai Tyagi observed, "Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case and considering the facts and circumstances of the case as well as the sentence awarded to the appellant, this Court is of the opinion that the appellant is entitled to be released on bail."

The former MLA's counsel Vikas Tripathi submitted before the court that along with the appellant, there were two accused persons who were tried separately and were acquitted by the trial court.

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It was also submitted that the driver and the conductor of the bus have specifically said that out of a gathering of so many people, they could not identify as to who had committed the offence of setting fire to the seat.

The petitioner's counsel argued that his client is innocent and he has been falsely implicated in the case. He has been in jail since January 29, 2020.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)