New Delhi [India], May 3 (ANI): Karkardooma Court on Friday granted bail to gangster Hashim Baba's associate, Asrar alias Popat, in a case lodged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). He was arrested in a case registered at the Gokul Puri police station on March 27.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Pulastya Pramachala granted bail to Asrar on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 25,000 and two surety bonds in the same amount.

While granting bail, the court has also imposed certain conditions.

On January 18, the court refused to grant Delhi police permission to interrogate and arrest the accused in the present MCOCA FIR.

The court had said that the FIR of MCOCA was based on the wrong foundation and a wrong legal notion.

Delhi police, aggrieved by the order passed by the trial court on January 18, 2025, had approached the Delhi High Court. The High Court on March 6 set aside the order passed by the trial court.

Accused thereafter challenged the order of March 6, 2025, passed by the High Court of Delhi. The Supreme Court on April 17, 2025, issued notice on the petition and directed 'that it is observed that the impugned order will not come in the way of the petitioner seeking bail, which shall be considered on its own merits by the court concerned'.

The accused moved an application through advocate MS Khan seeking bail. It was submitted that the order of the High Court has been directed to be kept in abeyance while considering the bail application of the applicant.

Advocate MS Khan, along with Advocate Prashant Prakash, argued that in this case, MCOCA has been invoked on a wrong foundation and wrong notion of law.

In fact, the FIR of PS Welcome, which has been taken as the latest incident, culminated in the chargesheet, on which the cognizance had already been taken on May 17, 2024, whereas the present FIR was registered on September 16, 2024, counsel argued.

On the other hand, the Special Public Prosecutor opposed the bail application and submitted that the order passed by the High Court has not been stayed by the Supreme Court. (ANI)