The Bombay High Court told Elgaar Parishad accused Anand Teltumbde that he could “give a lecture through video conferencing” while refusing to permit his foreign travel. Teltumbde later withdrew his plea after the court showed disinclination to grant relief.
Mumbai: Academic and Dalit rights activist Anand Teltumbde, who is an accused in the 2018 Elgaar Parishad case and currently out on bail, has withdrawn his request to travel abroad for academic purposes. The withdrawal came on Wednesday after the Bombay High Court indicated that it was not inclined to allow him permission.
A division bench of Justices Ajey S Gadkari and Ranjitsinha R Bhonsale heard the matter. During the hearing, the bench observed that Teltumbde could deliver his lectures online instead of physically travelling to foreign countries.
The judges also pointed out that a special NIA court had already rejected his plea for discharge in the case.
Teltumbde, through his application filed earlier this year, had sought permission to travel to the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (UK) in April and May 2025. His plan was to deliver lectures and actively participate in seminars at various universities abroad.
The Elgaar Parishad case is linked to a gathering in Pune on December 31, 2017. Authorities allege that inflammatory speeches made at this event incited violence at the Bhima Koregaon war memorial the next day. Police claim that Teltumbde, along with other accused persons, was an active member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested Teltumbde in April 2020. In November 2022, a Bombay High Court bench of Justices Ajey S Gadkari and Milind N Jadhav granted him bail, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court.
While granting bail, the court imposed conditions: he was not allowed to leave the jurisdiction of the special NIA court in Mumbai and had to deposit his passport. Seeking relaxation of these restrictions, he approached the high court.
The NIA opposed his plea. Advocate Chintan Shah, appearing for the NIA, argued that since the special court had already dismissed Teltumbde’s discharge application, there was no need for him to travel abroad. Shah submitted that Teltumbde could “very well address lectures through video conferencing”.
The NIA also raised a concern that Teltumbde might attempt to flee the country. In an affidavit filed in April this year, the NIA said:
“some of the wanted charge-sheeted accused of NIA and other Central law enforcement agencies have absconded and sought asylum in foreign countries”. The agency further argued that “a similar risk could not be ruled out with Teltumbde, whom it described as an active and senior member of the CPI (Maoist), a banned organisation”.
On the other side, senior advocate Mihir Desai, representing Teltumbde, insisted that his client’s intention was not just to give lectures but also to attend and actively participate in international academic seminars.
Desai argued that this aspect should be duly considered by the court. He also submitted that the appeal against the dismissal of Teltumbde’s discharge plea was still pending before the high court.
However, the bench remained firm. Justice Gadkari orally remarked:
“You (Teltumbde) may consider that you can give a lecture through VC. Don’t go. Now the attending circumstance is that the application for discharge is rejected.”
Referring to the NIA’s affidavit, the court said it was not inclined to grant permission. Following this, Mihir Desai, on instructions from Teltumbde, told the court that he would not press the application at this stage and sought permission to withdraw it. The bench then disposed of the plea as withdrawn.
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