Sonam Saigal

Earlier Principal Bench of Bombay High Court granted him bail for six months on medical grounds

Earlier Principal Bench of Bombay High Court granted him bail for six months on medical grounds

The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court granted bail to poet Varavara Rao on Tuesday in the 2016 Surajgarh iron case at Gadchiroli. So, he will be released from a private hospital.

He had moved a single Bench of Justice Swapna Joshi after the Principal Bench of the Bombay High Court granted him bail for six months on medical grounds on Monday.

He was arrested on January 30, 2019 by the Gadchiroli police in the Surajgarh iron case after being arrested on August 28, 2018 by the Pune police in the Bhima Koregaon violence case. The chargesheet filed by the Gadchiroli police alleges that evidence collected by the Pune police connects him to a case in 2016.

On December 25, 2016, some Naxals are believed to have torched 75 trucks carrying iron ore from Surjagarh mines in Etapalli tehsil of Gadchiroli.

Advocate Firdos Mirza, representing Mr. Rao before the Nagpur Bench, told The Hindu, “Even after being released on bail by the Bombay High Court, Mr. Rao was not released because of this case. Now he has been granted bail on the same conditions, and we can initiate the formalities for his release.”

Advocate Surendra Gadling was also arrested in the Surajgarh case and he is a co-accused in the Bhima Koregaon cae. The two have been charged with various Sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Bombay Police Act and the Arms Act.

Mr. Rao’s plea has relied upon the order passed by a Division Bench of Justice S.S. Shinde on February 22. The order read, “This is a genuine and fit case to grant relief; or else, we will be abdicating our constitutional duty and function as a protector of human rights and right to health covered under right to life guaranteed by the Constitution.”

courtesy The Hindu