New Delhi, March 8 -- The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday granted interim bail to Uttar Pradesh legislator Abbas Ansari in a criminal case filed under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act while imposing stringent movement restrictions on him.

A bench, comprising justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, directed that Ansari would remain at his official residence in Lucknow and could not leave the state without prior permission from the trial judge. If he wished to visit his constituency in Mau, the bench said, he must obtain prior approval from both the trial court and the district police.

Additionally, the bench prohibited Ansari from making any public statements regarding the ongoing legal proceedings. ...