Elgar Parishad case: NIA court refuses temporary bail to Mahesh Raut
The special sessions judge AK Lahoti rejected the plea, observing that the allegations against Raut were serious in nature
MUMBAI: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday rejected the plea for temporary bail of tribal rights activist and researcher Mahesh Raut — arrested in 2018 for his alleged role in the Elgar Parishad case. The activist had sought temporary bail for two weeks to go to Gadchiroli after the death of his grandmother.
The special sessions judge AK Lahoti rejected the plea, observing that the allegations against Raut were serious in nature. The prosecution also mentioned that there was suppression of material facts as Raut’s counsel failed to mention that his bail was stayed by the apex court.
Raut was one of the 16 persons arrested on June 6, 2018, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the violence at the Bhima Koregaon village in Pune. He was accused of having Maoist links and funding the Elgar Parishad event on December 31, 2017, and the riots that broke out the next day, claims the agency.
Currently in the Taloja Central Jail, Raut submitted his interim bail application in May to visit his sick grandmother. However, the matter was not pursued by them thereafter. Earlier this year, he was released on temporary bail to appear for the law entrance exam on March 4 in Navi Mumbai.
The prosecution said that they had no objection when Raut sought permission to appear for the law exam. However, they said that the current bail plea is for a longer period, which is non-permissible under the law.
Further, the prosecution submitted that Raut’s bail had been stayed by the apex court, where the matter is pending. The supreme court in September last year, had stayed the Bombay high court order granting bail to Raut.
Raut, an alumnus of the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), was known for his work and activism on tribal rights. The Elgar Parishad event was held at Pune’s Shaniwar Wada to mark the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle.
The next day, violence broke out at Bhima Koregaon village between right-wing groups, leading to the death of one person and injuring several others. Various researchers, activists and scholars were arrested by the investigating agency under the UAPA.