SC grants bail to Varavara Rao on medical grounds

BHIMA KOREGAON CASE

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to 82-year-old poet and activist P Varavara Rao, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, on medical grounds.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) vehemently opposed Rao’s plea in the apex court claiming that he is involved in “serious anti-national activities”.

The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.

The Pune Police had also claimed that the conclave was organised by people with alleged Maoist links. The NIA later took over the probe in the matter.

Rao was arrested on August 28, 2018, from his Hyderabad residence and is accused in the case for which 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.

While granting him bail, a bench headed by Justice U U Lalit noted that the medical condition of Rao, who is presently out on interim bail on medical grounds, has not improved to such an extent over a period that the facility of bail granted earlier to him be withdrawn.

The bench also observed that Rao is 82-year-old and has spent around two-and-a-half-year in custody.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, appearing for the NIA, argued before the bench that Rao is not an “ordinary criminal” and in certain cases, age cannot be a factor if the offences are serious and affect the nation.