Hubballi: As many as 179 people who were arrested in connection with violence in Navalgund town during the recent protests over Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal order, were granted bail by the Principal District and Sessions Court of Dharwad on Friday, August 12.

The arrested, lodged on Ballari, Dharwad and Chitradurga jails may be released on Saturday as the procedure to execute the bail order is likely to take time. The agitators were arrested on charges of arsoning and attack policemen on duty. Principal District and Sessions Judge V Srishanand heard the bail plea and ruled in favour of the accused and grated them conditional bail.

Each of them granted bail will have to submit Rs 50,000 surety bond to execute the bail order. If the accused violates any condition put by the court, the prosecution will be at the liberty to seek cancellation of the bail.

Several farmer and pro-Kannada forums welcomed the court’s decision to grant conditional bail to Mahadayi protestors. But they were not ready to forgive the government for the police brutality.

They further said that it was not the farmers who damaged the public property, but miscreants in the name of agitators. The Union Government should intervene to solve the dispute out-of-court, they said.