Elgar Parishad case: NIA court rejects interim bail plea of activist Sudha Bharadwaj

The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Friday rejected the interim bail plea of activist Sudha Bharadwaj, an accused in Elgar Parishad case.

The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Friday rejected the interim bail plea of activist Sudha Bharadwaj, an accused in Elgar Parishad case.

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Bharadwaj moved the bail petition on health grounds after a prisoner and a jail doctor at Byculla jail, where the activist is lodged, were found infected with Covid-19. In her plea, Bharadwaj stated that she was suffering from several pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and high blood pressure and is at a high risk of contracting coronavirus in prison. It was also argued that Bhardwaj has a history of pulmonary tuberculosis in the past, which makes her particularly susceptible to contracting other respiratory infections.

The plea was objected by special public prosecutor Prakash Shetty on the grounds that the accused in the case are booked under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and thus cannot be released on interim bail as stated by the high-power committee of the Bombay high court. The prosecution also submitted that the prisoners are getting all the facilities and treatment for all ailments inside the prison premises.

Bharadwaj, along with other activists, was arrested under UAPA and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly having links with Maoists and being involved in the Elgar Parishad gathering on December 31, 2017, which triggered caste-based violence at Bhima Koregaon in Pune the next day.