Bhima Koregaon Case: SC Grants Bail To Activist Varavara Rao On Medical Grounds

Bhima Koregaon Case: The Supreme Court said Rao would be entitled to have medical treatment of his choice and should keep the NIA informed about it.

Activist and poet Dr P Varavara Rao

Source : PTI

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to activist and poet Dr P Varavara Rao on medical grounds in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence case, PTI reported. A bench headed by Justice UU Lalit said the 82-year-old would be entitled to have medical treatment of his choice and should keep the NIA informed about it.

The SC also said Rao cannot leave the jurisdiction of the concerned trial court without its permission and should not misuse his liberty. It also said Rao should not be in touch with any witnesses in the Bhima Koregaon case.

Rao had challenged the Bombay High Court's April 13 order rejecting his plea for permanent bail on medical grounds.

In his plea filed against the April 13 order of the Bombay High Court, Rao had said, "The petitioner is an 83-year-old renowned Telugu poet and orator, who has undergone over two years of incarceration as an under-trial."

The plea said that "any further incarceration would ring the death knell for him as advancing age and deteriorating health are a fatal combination".

It said Rao had challenged the High Court order as he was not granted an extension of bail despite his age and precarious health condition, and his prayer to shift to Hyderabad was also denied.

Rao was arrested on August 28, 2018, from his home in Hyderabad. He was initially put under house arrestand was then taken into police custody on November 17, 2018. He was later shifted to Taloja Jail. 

An FIR was lodged by the Pune Police on January 8, 2018 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The case pertains to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017. The police has claimed the conclave triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial located on the outskirts of Pune. The police also claimed that the conclave was organised by people with alleged Maoist links.

(With inputs from agencies)