A week after activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, were granted bail by the Supreme Court, they are likely to walk out of jail on Saturday as a special court in Mumbai issued their release order.
The duo, who were arrested in August 2018, are currently lodged in Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai.
The special court hearing cases related to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) issued their release order on Friday and they are likely to walk out of the jail by this evening as their bail formalities before the court have been completed, a lawyer said, reported PTI.
On July 28, a two-judge bench of the top court granted them bail, noting that mere holding of certain literature through which violent acts may be propagated would not attract the provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
“Considering the fact that almost five years have elapsed, we are satisfied they have made out a case for bail. The allegations are serious, no doubt, but for that reason alone, bail cannot be denied to them,” the bench said.
However, the apex court has put certain conditions, asking them not to leave Maharashtra without the permission of the trail court, surrender their passports, to let the NIA know their address.
It also granted liberty to the NIA to seek cancellation of their bail if there is any violation of the bail conditions.
After the Bombay High Court rejected their bail pleas, the activists had moved the Supreme Court.
The special NIA court imposed additional conditions for their bail, directing the accused to furnish a personal recognizance (PR) bond of Rs 50,000 each and asking them not to speak to the media about the case. It also directed them to attend the proceedings before the court unless exempted from personal appearance.
The case Elgar Parishad conclave was held in Pune on December 31, 2017 which, according to the Pune police, was funded by Maoists. The inflammatory speeches made there led to violence at the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune the next day, police had alleged. The NIA had later taken over the case.
As many as 16 activists have been arrested in the case, of whom three are currently out on bail. Scholar-activist Anand Teltumbde and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj are out on regular bail, while poet Varavara Rao is currently out on bail on health grounds. Another accused, activist Gautam Navlakha, is currently under house arrest as per the direction of the Supreme court.