Elgar Parishad-Maoist case: SC asks NIA's stance on activist's plea for interim bail

New Delhi, Jun 14 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take instructions on a plea filed by activist Mahesh Raut, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, seeking interim bail to attend rituals following the death of his grandmother.

A vacation bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Augustine George Masih posted the matter for hearing on June 21.

"Funeral was on May 26 so what ceremonies are left? You have not given any details as to when they would be," the bench asked the counsel appearing for Raut.

Senior advocate Mihir Desai, appearing for Raut, submitted that this is an interim bail plea to go to Gadchiroli to attend the ceremonies after the death of his grandmother.

The top court in September last year extended the stay granted by the Bombay High Court on the implementation of its verdict granting bail to Raut.

The NIA had earlier challenged in the top court the September 21 order of the Bombay High Court granting bail to 33-year-old Raut, who was arrested in June 2018 and is presently lodged in judicial custody at the Taloja prison.

After the high court had pronounced its verdict on September 21, the counsel representing the NIA had sought the stay on the operation of its order to enable the probe agency to challenge it before the Supreme Court.

The case pertains to the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which according to the Pune Police was funded by Maoists.

The inflammatory speeches made there led to violence at the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune the next day, police had alleged.

The case was later probed by the NIA. PTI