SC grants 2 weeks’ interim bail to Bhima Koregaon case accused

Bhima Koregaon case accused Mahesh Raut had sought bail to attend rituals in connection with the death of his grandmother. He will be released on interim bail from June 26 to July 10, subject to conditions imposed by the trial court.

The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail of two weeks to Bhima Koregaon case accused Mahesh Raut. (File)

The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail of two weeks to Bhima Koregaon case accused Mahesh Raut to attend rituals in connection with the death of his grandmother.

A vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and S V N Bhatti directed that Raut be released on interim bail from June 26 to July 10. The bench said that the relief would be subject to conditions imposed by the trial court and that he would have to surrender on July 10.

“Considering the facts and circumstances of the case and the period of incarceration already undergone by the respondent and also the nature of request made for the purpose, we are inclined to grant two weeks interim bail to the applicant which may commence from June 26, 2024 and end on July 10, 2024,” the Supreme Court said.

Story continues below this ad

“The terms and conditions of release shall be determined by the special court (NIA) or the trial court as the case may be. The NIA would be at liberty to request the trial court to impose such stringent conditions as may be necessary. The applicant on being released on June 26, shall surrender without fail on July 10, 2024, that is on completion of two weeks,” the court added, disposing of his plea.

Appearing for Raut, advocate Aparna Bhat said the Supreme Court had earlier stayed the regular bail granted to him by the Bombay High Court.

Opposing the plea, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said that the death had occurred in May and wondered what rituals were pending now. The agency’s counsel urged the court to grant the accused parole only for the days he wanted to attend any rituals.

Ananthakrishnan G

Ananthakrishnan G. is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. He has been in the field for over 23 years, kicking off his journalism career as a freelancer in the late nineties with bylines in The Hindu. A graduate in law, he practised in the District judiciary in Kerala for about two years before switching to journalism. His first permanent assignment was with The Press Trust of India in Delhi where he was assigned to cover the lower courts and various commissions of inquiry. He reported from the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India during his first stint with The Indian Express in 2005-2006. Currently, in his second stint with The Indian Express, he reports from the Supreme Court and writes on topics related to law and the administration of justice. Legal reporting is his forte though he has extensive experience in political and community reporting too, having spent a decade as Kerala state correspondent, The Times of India and The Telegraph. He is a stickler for facts and has several impactful stories to his credit. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
Bhima Koregaon case