A bench led by Justice A. S. Gadkari allowed Gadling’s plea primarily on two grounds: the prolonged incarceration he has already undergone and the unlikelihood of the trial commencing anytime soon. The court cited the principle of parity, noting that all other co-accused in the case had already secured bail. Denying Gadling the same relief, the bench indicated, would be inconsistent with established judicial standards.
With this order, every surviving accused in the case is now out on bail.
Elgar Parishad violence
The case traces back to the Elgar Parishad conclave held on December 31, 2017, at Shaniwar Wada, a historic fort in Pune. It was organised to commemorate the Battle of Bhima Koregaon of 1818, wherein the Peshwas fought against the East India Company. In the war, an army of Dalit soldiers had fought under the British forces against the Peshwa, the reason for the celebration by Dalits.
In 2018, it was the 200th anniversary of the war, and extreme violence erupted over the matter. The speeches delivered at the event were provocative and contributed to the violence that broke out the following day at Bhima Koregaon, on the city’s outskirts.
Initially investigated by the Pune Police, the case was later handed over to the National Investigation Agency, which expanded the probe and invoked stringent anti-terror provisions, alleging links between the accused and banned Maoist organisations.
The case has drawn national attention for the profile of those arrested, which included lawyers, academics, and ‘activists’. Among the accused are usual suspects such as Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha and others, all of whom are currently on bail.
