TV scribe, who unearthed Gujarat mass graveyard, granted bail

New Delhi, Feb 22 (PTI) A television journalist, whohad covered the 2005 discovery of a mass graveyard of Gujaratcommunal riot victims at Panderwada near Godhra, but waswanted by the state police for allegedly causing communalstrife through his coverage, was granted a short-period bailtoday by the Delhi High Court.

Justice Ajit Bharihoke granted short-span ''transitbail'' to TV scribe Rahul Singh till March 11 to facilitate himto approach the appropriate local court in the state and seekregular bail in the criminal case lodged against him.

The police had booked Singh and some social activists,fighting legal battles on behalf of Muslim riot victims, in2006 for allegedly creating communal discord by fabricatingfalse evidence and for trespassing into the graveyard anddesecrating it.

Justice Bharihoke granted bail to Rahul on a personalbond of Rs 25,000.

Singh''s counsel Arjun Harkauli had sought bail forhim saying the mass grave in Panderwada village had yieldedremains of 21 alleged victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

He said his client Rahul Singh had reported the newsabout the exhumation of human remains by the victims'' familymembers in December 2005 for a New Delhi-based television newschannel.

He argued that his client''s name is not mentioned inthe FIR but police has been looking for him to arrest him.

He said a Gujarat police team, looking for his client,had reached Rahul''s native place in Bhopal where his father, asenior journalist with an English daily, stays.

The police had been quizzing Singh regaerding hisson''s whereabouts and been troubling him, alleged Rahul''scounsel in the court.