HC grants bail to Bhima-Koregaon accused to attend brother’s wedding

The cultural activist and member of Kabir Kala Manch is set to be released from Taloja Central Jail on May 1. He must return to the prison by May 4

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has granted temporary bail to Sagar Tatyaram Gorkhe, an accused in the Bhima-Koregaon conspiracy case, to attend his brother’s wedding in Pune. The cultural activist and member of Kabir Kala Manch is set to be released from Taloja Central Jail on May 1. He must return to the prison by May 4 and would be escorted by police personnel in the interim period.

Pune, India - September 08, 2020: The NIA arrested three Kabir Kala Manch members - Sagar Gorkhe (32 - right), Ramesh Gaichor (36 - left), and Jyoti Jagtap (33) - in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case. The men were remanded to four days in police custody by a local court in Mumbai on Tuesday. HT PHOTO

Gorkhe and 15 other activists and intellectuals including Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Shoma Sen and Mahesh Raut are accused of delivering allegedly inflammatory speeches during the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune’s Shaniwarwada on December 31, 2017. Police claim the speeches sparked violence near the Bhima-Koregaon war memorial on the outskirts of Pune the following day, resulting in a death.

Currently lodged at Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai, Gorkhe sought temporary release to attend his brother’s wedding, scheduled in Pune on May 2. The special court rejected his plea on account of the serious charges he faces, including under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, after which he approached the high court.

The bench of justices AS Gadkari and Shyam C Chandak reconsidered his plea in light of previous instances when he was granted temporary release without misuse – on May 2, 2023, he was allowed to appear for an entrance examination for studying law conducted by the state government.

On April 24, the court ruled in favour of Gorkhe subject to conditions including payment of a personal recognisance bond of ₹25,000 and a cash security deposit of the same amount. As per the order, he will be released from jail on the morning of May 1 and must return by the evening of May 4. He will be accompanied by police personnel in civil clothes provided by the Navi Mumbai Commissioner of Police at all times and is strictly prohibited from tampering with evidence or pressuring prosecution witnesses during his temporary release.