The Supreme Court on Friday granted two weeks’ interim bail to activist Mahesh Raut, an accused in the 2018 Bhima-Koregaon case, to attend rituals related to the death of his grandmother.

A vacation bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice SVN Bhatti granted interim bail to Mahesh Raut from June 26 to July 10, with the directive that he must surrender before the National Investigation Agency at the end of the bail period. The bench specified that Mahesh Raut’s release is subject to the terms and conditions to be determined by the special NIA court holding the trial.

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“Considering the facts and circumstances, and the period of incarceration already undergone, and the nature of the request made, we are inclined to grant interim bail of two weeks to the applicant (Raut), which may commence from 26 June and end on 10 July. The terms and conditions of the release will be stated by the NIA Special Court. The NIA can request the trial court to impose stringent conditions. The applicant shall surrender on July 10,” the court stated in its order.

Opposing the plea for interim bail, the advocate representing the NIA said that Mahesh Raut should approach the special court for such relief. The bench brushed his suggestion aside, asking which special court will entertain such a plea when the matter is pending before the top court on an appeal by the investigating agency against the Bombay High Court order granting bail to Mahesh Raut.

The top court, on an appeal by the NIA, in September 2023, had extended the stay granted by the Bombay High Court on the implementation of its own verdict granting bail to Mahesh Raut.

On June 14, 2024, the advocate appearing for Mahesh Raut told the vacation bench that Mahesh Raut has to go to Gadchiroli to attend the rituals relating to the death of his grandmother.

Posting the matter for Friday (June 21), the court had asked the advocate appearing for the NIA to take instruction.

The top court had stayed the release of Mahesh Raut after the NIA challenged the September 21, 2023, order of the Bombay High Court granting bail to Mahesh Raut, who was arrested in June 2018 and is currently lodged in judicial custody at Taloja prison.

The prosecution in the case has alleged that provocative and inflammatory speeches were made at the event that was backed by the banned terror outfit CPI(Maoist)), which later triggered violence in Koregaon Bhima village near Pune in 2018.