The Supreme Court has postponed the bail plea hearing of urban Naxal Jyoti Jagtap in the Bhima Koregaon case to July. Jyoti Jagtap, following the recent grant of bail to Urban Naxal Gautam Navlakha, filed for interim bail at the Supreme Court. Her plea, initially listed before a bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice M.M. Sundresh, and Justice Bela Trivedi, was set for hearing but has been deferred to July. This postponement is due to the Supreme Court’s summer recess commencing on May 17.
NEW DELHI: Today (16 May): The Supreme Court postponed the hearing of the bail plea filed by Jyoti Jagtap, an alleged activist and Urban Naxal implicated in the Bhima Koregaon violence case. The decision delays any potential relief for Jagtap, whose plea will now be heard in July.
Jyoti Jagtap, following the recent grant of bail to Urban Naxal Gautam Navlakha, filed for interim bail at the Supreme Court. Her plea, initially listed before a bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice M.M. Sundresh, and Justice Bela Trivedi, was set for hearing but has been deferred to July. This postponement is due to the Supreme Court’s summer recess commencing on May 17.
The bench stated that completing the hearing on Jagtap’s bail plea was not feasible within the available time frame. Hence, the matter has been rescheduled for July 8.
Bombay High Court Previously Denied Bail
Jyoti Jagtap’s journey through the judicial system has been challenging. The Bombay High Court had previously dismissed her bail application. Following this setback, Jagtap approached the Supreme Court, seeking relief from her prolonged incarceration.
Arrested in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence of 2018, Jagtap has been in prison since 2020. She is accused of being a member of the banned leftist organization CPI and participating in activities leading to the violence that erupted during the Elgar Parishad event on December 31, 2017.
READ ALSO: Bombay High Court Grants Bail to Gautam Navlakha in Bhima Koregaon Case
Background of the Bhima Koregaon Violence Case
The Bhima Koregaon case stems from an event organized by leftist and Urban Naxal groups in Pune on December 31, 2017. The event allegedly aimed to incite Dalits and other communities, leading to widespread violence in Bhima Koregaon and other parts of Maharashtra. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has implicated 15 individuals in this case, charging them with various offenses, including plotting terrorist activities and raising funds for sophisticated weapons.
Charges Against the Accused
The accused in the Bhima Koregaon case face multiple charges under various legal provisions. For instance, academician Anand Teltumbde is accused of tampering with evidence. Other individuals charged by the NIA include Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, P. Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Hany Babu, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap, and Surendra Gorkhe.
The draft chargesheet also mentioned Father Stan Swamy, who has since passed away, leading to a cessation of proceedings against him. Several other accused individuals remain absconding.
The Supreme Court’s deferment of Jagtap’s bail plea extends her time in custody, highlighting the ongoing complexities and delays in resolving the Bhima Koregaon case.
