Pune's Bhima-Koregaon Case: Supreme Court Grants Activist Mahesh Raut Six-Week Interim Bail On Medical Grounds

New Delhi/Pune: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim bail of six weeks to activist Mahesh Raut, booked in the Bhima-Koregaon case, on medical grounds.

The order was passed by a bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma after Raut's counsel informed the court that his client is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and requires medical treatment.

The court was hearing a plea filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking cancellation of bail granted to Raut by the Bombay High Court.

During the hearing today, the counsel appearing for Raut stated that his client had been granted bail on merits by the Bombay High Court on September 21, 2023. However, the High Court had stayed the bail order for one week and allowed the NIA to file an appeal challenging Raut's bail. Subsequently, the NIA filed its appeal before the Supreme Court. On NIA's appeal, the top court extended the stay on Raut's bail for one week. As per Raut's counsel, the stay on Raut's bail has been periodically extended.

The counsel representing the NIA opposed Raut's bail by citing his alleged involvement in transferring funds of the Maoists.

After considering Raut's medical condition and the bail granted to him by the High Court, the top court granted him an interim bail for a period of six weeks.

Raut 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 by the accused at an event that was allegedly backed by the banned terror outfit CPI(M), which later led to violence at Koregaon Bhima village near Pune in 2018.

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