Thursday, March 28, 2024

Anand Teltumbde gets bail after 949 days in jail under UAPA

Prominent intellectual and author Anand Teltumbde was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on Friday after spending 949 days in jail under draconian UAPA.

The Dalit scholar is presently detained in Taloja Central Prison since 2020 for his alleged role in the Bhima Koregaon violence of 2018.

A bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Milind Jadhav pronounced the verdict today after extensively hearing the application and reserving its order last week, reported Bar and Bench.

Meanwhile, after the NIA requested a stay on the operation of its order to approach the Supreme Court, the High Court stayed the same for a week.

The Bench stated that only the offences under Section 38 and 39 (relating to membership in terrorist organisation) were made out against Teltumbde. The maximum punishment in those offences was 10 years of imprisonment, and Teltumbde had already been incarcerated for more than 2 years in prison.

The High Court directed Teltumbde to be released on bail on furnishing surety of Rs one lakh.

Teltumbde is the grandson-in-law of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, a towering Dalit leader and the architect of India’s constitution.

Teltumbde had approached HC last year against the rejection of his bail plea by a special NIA Court.

Teltumbde is the third accused in the case to be granted bail by the Bombay High Court after co-accused Varavara Rao and Sudha Bharadwaj.

Teltumbde is the first accused in the case to get bail on merits from the High Court.

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