Bhima Koregaon case accused Sudha Bharadwaj denied bail by Bombay HC

On Friday, a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justices RD Dhanuka and VG Bisht rejected the bail plea of activist Sudha Bharadwaj, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case. Bharadwaj had appealed against the special NIA court's order which refused to grant her bail on medical grounds. The activist's counsel Ragini Ahuja argued that her client suffered from chronic ailments such as diabetes and hypertension, putting her at high risk of contracting COVID-19. 

Moreover, she informed the court that there was a contradiction between the July 23 and August 21 medical reports of Bharadwaj submitted by the jail authorities. According to Ahuja, August's medical report contradicted the previous month's report which reportedly said that vital parameters were on the higher side and she had heart ischemia. However, the bench did not find merit in this petition, acknowledging the NIA and state government's submission that all precautions were being taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in prisons. At present, Bharadwaj is lodged at Byculla Women's Jail in Mumbai. 

Read: Bhima Koregaon Violence: NIA Court Rejects Default Bail Plea Of Activist Gautam Navlakha

What is the Bhima Koregaon case? 

Violence had erupted at Koregaon-Bhima village in Pune district on January 1, 2018, where supporters had gathered to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon. This resulted in the death of one person and leaving several injured. Subsequently, the Pune police arrested activists such as Sudha Bharadwaj, Shoma Sen, Arun Ferreira, and Vernon Gonsalves, Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale and P Varavara Rao for allegedly inciting the Bhima Koregoan violence through their speech at the Elgar Parishad meeting on December 31, 2017. 

The charges filed by the police include 'conspiracy to assassinate PM Narendra Modi', 'overthrow the government', 'waging war against the Government of India' under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Also, it has been alleged that some of the arrested individuals are active members of the banned CPI (Maoists) party. In January 2020, the case was transferred to the NIA.  

Read: Bhima Koregaon: SC Sets Aside Delhi HC Order For Production Of Records, Says It Has No Jurisdiction

Latest arrest by NIA

On July 28, the NIA arrested Delhi University Associate Professor Hany Babu in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case. He was questioned at length for 4 consecutive days. As per the NIA, Hany Babu was propagating Maoist activities and ideology and was a co-conspirator with the other accused. At present, Babu is in judicial custody.

Read: Bhima Koregaon: SC Stays Bail Proceedings Of Gautam Navlakha Before Delhi HC