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Supreme Court grants 6-week interim bail to Bhima Koregaon accused Mahesh Raut
The National Investigation Agency had reiterated the agency’s opposition to Mahesh Raut’s release on interim bail
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim bail for six weeks on medical grounds to Bhima Koregaon violence accused Mahesh Raut, who is accused of transferring funds to the banned outfit Communist Party of India (Maoist).
A bench of justices MM Sundresh and SC Sharma passed the order on an application moved by Raut, who sought treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The court also noted that he had obtained bail from the Bombay high court in 2023, but was not released due to a stay by the top court on an appeal filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Advocate Zoheb Hossain, appearing for NIA, reiterated the agency’s opposition to interim bail. “The court may consider his serious role. He was transferring funds to the Maoists,” he said.
The bench observed, “Maoists are already gone now. They are now in their last leg.”
Senior advocate CU Singh, who appeared for Raut, said he had been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and needed specialised medical care, which was not available in prison. Singh also recalled that the top court had earlier stayed his release on bail granted by the high court in 2023.
The bench granted him interim bail for six weeks, in view of his medical condition and the fact that the high court had previously granted him bail.
Raut was arrested in June 2018 in connection with the violence that took place at Bhima Koregaon in Maharashtra on January 1, 2018 in which one person was killed. The NIA alleged that the violence was instigated at the instance of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and alleged that Raut was one of the persons linked to the organisation and charged him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Raut had been lodged at Taloja jail despite getting bail on September 21, 2023, after an interim stay on his release was extended by the top court on the NIA’s request.
The court also took up the bail plea of another Bhima Koregaon violence accused Jyoti Jagtap and adjourned the matter to October.
