Elgaar Parishad case: Activists Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves walk out of jail after SC bail

The Supreme Court on July 28 while granting them bail said that while the allegations against them are serious, the material against them cannot justify their continued detention till the final outcome of the case. The trial in the case is yet to begin with the special court currently hearing arguments on discharge applications of the accused.

Among the conditions set by the Supreme Court, it had said that they cannot leave the state without the court’s permission, they shall use only one phone each and keep it active and charged at all times with its location on, to enable investigating officers to know their exact location at any given time. The special court had also put additional conditions on the duo on July 31 on the request of the NIA including that they shall not make any statement before the media regarding the case.

A total of 16 persons were arrested in the case by the Pune police and the NIA. Of which, while Jharkhand-based Jesuit priest Father Stan Swamy died in judicial custody in 2021, accused including Telugu poet Varavara Rao, Chhattisgarh-based lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj and academician Anand Teltumbde have been granted bail so far.

Journalist Gautam Navlakha is currently under house arrest. Others including Rona Wilson, Mahesh Raut, Sudhir Dhawale, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap, Shoma Sen, Hany Babu and Surendra Gadling continue to remain in jail.