Mahesh Raut was arrested in 2018 for his alleged involvement in the Elgar Parishad case. At present, he is lodged in Taloja Jail, which is in Navi Mumbai.
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Thursday granted interim bail to Mahesh Raut, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case, so that he can appear for his law degree exams. The court has allowed him temporary bail from April 20 to May 16.
Mahesh Raut was arrested in 2018 for his alleged involvement in the Elgar Parishad case. At present, he is lodged in Taloja Jail, which is in Navi Mumbai.
Special Judge Chakor Bhaviskar has permitted him to appear for his second-semester Bachelor of Laws (LLB) exams in Mumbai.
To secure the interim bail, Raut must execute a personal recognition bond of Rs 50,000 along with a surety of the same amount. The court has also directed him to provide proof of his residential address and an active mobile number to the jail authorities and the investigating agency for this period.
The court stated: “The accused shall not misuse the liberty granted to him and shall immediately surrender to the jail authority on the same day when the examination is over.”
Apart from his second-semester exams, the court has also allowed Raut to appear for the first-semester ATKT (Allowed to Keep Terms) exam on April 4. He is also permitted to attend his viva-voce and assignment presentation on April 9, but under strict police escort.
Background
Mahesh Raut is one of the 15 activists accused in the Elgar Parishad case. The case is related to alleged inflammatory speeches given at the Elgar Parishad event, which was held in Pune on December 31, 2017. According to Pune police, these speeches incited violence in Koregaon Bhima the next day.
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Authorities claim that Maoist groups supported the conclave. Initially, the Pune police handled the investigation, but later, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case.
