Elgaar Parishad Accused Sagar Gorkhe Granted Bail for Law Examinations
In a significant development, a special court in Mumbai has granted interim bail to Sagar Gorkhe, an accused in the high-profile Elgaar Parishad case, allowing him to prepare for and attend his law examinations. The order was passed on Wednesday, November 20, 2025, permitting his temporary release from Taloja Central Jail.
Court Overrules NIA's Opposition, Cites Past Conduct
While the National Investigation Agency (NIA) strongly opposed the bail plea, citing concerns that Gorkhe might abscond, Special Judge C S Baviskar noted a crucial precedent. The court observed that Gorkhe had been released on interim bail on two previous occasions—first in March of the previous year to take his law entrance exams, and again in December to attend semester exams.
"It is not the case of the NIA that the applicant/accused committed a breach of any of the conditions imposed upon him previously. He even surrendered as directed," Judge Baviskar stated in the order. This track record of compliance weighed heavily in the decision.
Bail Conditions and Duration
The court has permitted Sagar Gorkhe to be released on temporary bail from November 20 to December 16, 2025, after which he must surrender to the jail authorities. The bail comes with stringent conditions designed to allow the investigating agencies to monitor his movements.
Gorkhe is required to furnish an active mobile phone number to the jail authorities, the NIA, and the prosecution. He must keep the phone operational at all times so that his whereabouts can be traced if needed. The court explicitly allowed the NIA to monitor and track his location via this phone number for the duration of his temporary release.
Broader Context of the Elgaar Parishad Case
This decision comes on the same day the Supreme Court granted interim bail to another co-accused, Jyoti Jagtap, with a hearing on her bail plea scheduled for February 2026. The top court also extended the interim bail of Mauresh Raut, who was granted bail in 2023 but whose release was stayed pending a Supreme Court hearing.
Sagar Gorkhe was arrested by the NIA in 2020 and has been incarcerated since. He is one of 16 individuals arrested in connection with the Elgaar Parishad case. The case, which saw initial arrests by Pune Police in 2018 before being taken over by the NIA, has been marred by tragedy with the custodial death of Father Stan Swamy in 2021.
Notably, the trial in the case is yet to begin, and the court is currently hearing discharge applications from the accused. Among those still in prison are lawyer Surendra Gadling and Delhi University professor Hany Babu. The charges in the case are yet to be formally framed by the court.
