Bhima-Koregaon: SC to hear plea of activist seeking interim bail on June 21

New Delhi [India], June 14 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear on June 21 a plea filed by activist Mahesh Raut, an accused in the Bhima-Koregaon case, seeking interim bail to attend rituals following the death of his grandmother.

A vacation bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Augustine George Masih asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to seek instruction on 33-year-old Raut’s plea.

The bench asked Raut’s counsel, “Funeral was on May 26 so what ceremonies are left? You have not given any details as to when they would be.”

Senior advocate Mihir Desai, appearing for Raut, told the bench that this is an interim bail plea to go to Gadchiroli to attend the ceremonies after the death of his grandmother.

In September 2023, the apex court extended the stay granted by the Bombay High Court on the implementation of its verdict granting bail to Raut.

The stay was granted by the apex court after the NIA challenged the September 21 order of the Bombay High Court granting bail to Raut, who was arrested in June 2018 and is presently lodged in judicial custody at the Taloja prison.

As per the prosecution, provocative and inflammatory speeches were made at the event that was allegedly backed by banned terror outfit CPI (M), which later led to violence at Koregaon Bhima village near Pune in 2018.