2008 Bengaluru blasts case: Supreme Court judge recuses himself from hearing Maudany's plea

New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Justice V Ramasubramanian Monday recused himself from hearing a plea of Kerala's People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Abdul Nazir Maudany, who is an accused in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts case, seeking to allow him to go to Kerala and stay there till the trial is concluded.

"List the matter next week before another bench of which one of us (V Ramasubramanian, J.) is not a member," a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said in its order. During the hearing conducted through video-conferencing, Justice Ramasubramanian said that as a lawyer earlier, he had appeared for Maudany before the Madras High Court.

Maudany, who has filed an application in the top court seeking relaxation in bail condition and permit him to go to Kerala, is an accused in the case of serial blasts that had rocked Bengaluru in July 2008.

Two people were killed and 20 were injured in the blasts. While hearing the application on April 5, Justice Ramasubramanian had said that he might have appeared for Maudany as a counsel earlier and he would not be able to hear the matter. Maudany's lawyer had then said that he would verify the same. The PDP leader has said that he was granted bail in July 2014.