Bombay High Court Grants Bail to Elgar Parishad Accused Sagar Gorkhe and Ramesh Gaichor
The Bombay High Court has granted bail to activists Sagar Gorkhe and Ramesh Gaichor in the high-profile Elgar Parishad Maoist links case. The decision was delivered on Friday by a bench headed by Justice A S Gadkari, marking a significant development in this long-standing legal matter.
Grounds for Bail: Parity and Incarceration Duration
The court granted bail on the grounds of parity, noting that several other accused in the same case have already received similar relief. The bench emphasized the prolonged incarceration of Gorkhe and Gaichor, who were arrested in September 2020 and have been lodged at Taloja prison since then. Additionally, the court observed that the trial is unlikely to commence in the near future, further justifying the bail decision.
"Hence on the ground of parity, the two appellants (Gorkhe and Gaichor) too deserve to be released on bail," the court stated, as reported by news agency PTI.
Bail Conditions and Case Background
Gorkhe and Gaichor have been directed to furnish a bail bond of ₹1 lakh each and must attend the National Investigation Agency's office once a month as part of their bail conditions. The duo was accused of being active members of the banned CPI (Maoist) group, allegations that stem from the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017.
According to police reports, speeches delivered at this conclave allegedly triggered violence at Koregaon-Bhima on the outskirts of Pune the following day. The Pune police initially investigated the case, claiming Maoist backing for the event, before the NIA took over the probe.
Wider Context of the Elgar Parishad Case
The Elgar Parishad case involves at least 16 individuals, including prominent lawyers, activists, and academics. With this latest bail grant, all except one accused, Surendra Gadling, have now been released on bail. Notably, Father Stan Swamy, an 84-year-old priest and tribal rights activist, died in custody in July 2021 while awaiting trial.
Other notable accused in the case include:
- Varavara Rao
- Sudha Bharadwaj
- Anand Teltumbde
- Vernon Gonsalves
- Arun Ferreira
- Shoma Sen
- Gautam Navlakha
- Sudhir Dhawale
- Rona Wilson
- Jyoti Jagtao
- Mahesh Raut
This bail decision underscores ongoing legal debates surrounding the case, highlighting issues of judicial process and defendants' rights in complex national security matters.
