- (1.) These special leave petitions are against the orders dated 30.04.2019 and 16.05.2019 passed by the High Court of Madras (Madurai Bench) in No.4654 of 2019 respectively.
(2.) On 21.04.2019, on the occasion of the Chithra Pournami festival about seven pilgrims were killed and 10 injured in a stampede outside the temple of Lord Sri Vaalavaikkum Vandithurai Karuppannasamy at Muthiyampalayam Village in Tiruchirapalli District, Tamil Nadu.
(3.) By the impugned order dated 30.04.2019, the High Court granted bail to the petitioner, M.D. Dhanapal, the Chief Priest of Lord Sri Vaalavaikkum Vandithurai Karuppannasamy Temple at Muthiyampalayam Village, Thuraiyr Taluk, Tiruchirapalli, who had been arrested pursuant to an F.I.R. in connection with the accident, on condition that he would pay Rs.10,00,000/- (Rupees ten lakhs only) each by bank drafts in the name of one of the family members/legal heirs of each of the deceased pilgrims who had come to the temple in connection with some of the temple rituals and got killed in the stampede outside the Temple. The petitioner is aggrieved by the onerous condition of having to pay a total amount of Rs.70,00,000/- (Rupees Seventy Lakhs only) upfront, as a condition for bail.;