Mumbai: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Saturday granted permission to retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, an accused in the 2008 Malegaon bomb blasts case, to visit his constituency to campaign for the upcoming Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

Judge Shripad Tekale last month had allowed Upadhyay’s application seeking permission to contest the UP Assembly elections, as the NIA had not objected to it.

On Saturday, the judge allowed Upadhyay to visit UP for three weeks between February 6 and March 6. The election there is scheduled on March 4. Upadhyay is contesting elections in Bairia in Ballia district on an Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha ticket. Bairia is the 363rd constituency in the Assembly.

He will be escorted by policemen and remain in custody.