In a big relief for activist Mahesh Raut, the Supreme Court has granted him six weeks of medical bail on Friday. Raut faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his alleged ties to Maoists, and he’s been behind bars since June 2018.
Senior advocate C.U. Singh, representing Raut, told the court that the activist is battling rheumatoid arthritis—a painful autoimmune condition that hits the joints, bones, and muscles hard. A bench led by Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma heard the plea and agreed to the interim medical bail. “We’re granting this for six weeks, especially since he already had bail before,” the court said in its order.
The judges even dropped a hint: if Raut’s health issues turn out to be serious and need more treatment, they’re open to extending the bail. This comes as the top court reviews a special leave petition (SLP) from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which challenged the Bombay High Court’s decision to grant Raut bail last September.
For context, the Bombay High Court—through Justices A.S. Gadkari and Sharmila Deshmukh—had okayed Raut’s release in September 2023 after he spent over five years in jail over suspected Maoist links. But the NIA quickly got a one-week stay from the high court to appeal to the Supreme Court. The apex court then extended that stay, keeping Raut locked up until now.
The whole case stems from the Elgar Parishad event in Pune’s Shaniwarwada on December 31, 2017. Organised by Kabir Kala Manch activists, it allegedly saw provocative speeches that stirred up caste tensions, sparked violence, caused deaths and property damage, and triggered statewide protests in Maharashtra.
This isn’t the first time the Supreme Court has stepped in on bail matters here. Back in July 2023, it freed two other accused—Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira—who’d been jailed since August 2018 for similar charges. As Raut’s medical bail kicks in, all eyes are on how his health treatment goes and what the court decides next in this high-profile UAPA case.
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