Supreme Court has dismissed the plea filed by the National Investigation Agency challenging the Bombay High Court order granting default bail to activist Sudha Bhardwaj in the Elgar Parishad case.
The matter was heard by a three-judge bench comprising Justice U U Lalit, Justice Ravindra Bhat and Justice Bela Trivedi. The apex court dismissed the plea stating “we see no reason to interfere with Bombay High Court order”.
Lawyer-activist Sudha Bhardwaj was granted bail on December 1 by Bombay High Court on the ground that her detention under Unlawful Assembly (Prevention)Act was extended by a Session Court which didn’t have the power to do so.
The court had issued directions to produce Sudha Bhardwaj before the special NIA court on December 8 to decide the conditions for bail and her date of release.
The High Court, however, had rejected the bail plea of the other eight accused on the same day. Those eight accused include Varavara Rao, Sudhir Dhawale, Vernon Gonsalves, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut and Arun Ferreira.
Among all the 16 accused detained in the matter, Bhardwaj is the first one to get the default bail. Poet-activist Varavara Rao is currently on medical bail and Jesuit priest Stan Swamy died on July 5 this year, after a long wait for medical bail.
What Is Elgar-Parishad Case?
The matter was related to alleged inflammatory speeches delivered during a yearly event at the Elgar Parishad conclave, held at Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31, 2017. The speeches allegedly led to the caste violence at the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial located on the city’s outskirts the next day. All activists and academicians are accused of having Maoist links.
