Elgar case accused released on temporary bail; jail authority apologises to HC for delay

Mumbai, Sep 11 (PTI) Activist Ramesh Gaichor, accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, has been released from jail, pursuant to the temporary bail granted to him, the prison authorities informed the Bombay High Court on Thursday.

Gaichor, who was granted three-day temporary bail by the HC on August 26 to visit his ailing father, was released from the Taloja jail in neighbouring Navi Mumbai on Wednesday night, they said.

The jail superintendent also submitted an affidavit, tendering an unconditional apology for not complying with the HC order, which delayed the activist's release.

Gaichor's counsel Mihir Desai on Wednesday moved an application claiming that despite the HC order, the accused was not released as the jail authorities insisted on a release warrant from the trial court.

A bench headed by Justice A S Gadkari on Wednesday came down heavily on the jail authorities for not complying with the court order and orally remarked that the authorities were just harassing the accused.

On Thursday, the jail superintendent filed an affidavit tendering an unconditional apology. The affidavit said Gaichor was released from jail on Wednesday night.

The court accepted the affidavit, and modified its earlier order and granted Gaichor temporary bail till September 13.

While granting temporary bail to Gaichor last month, the HC noted he had not met his 76-year-old father since his arrest in September 2020.

Gaichor moved the HC after a special court last month rejected his plea seeking interim bail for two weeks to visit and care for his ailing father.

The special court had said Gaichor's father suffered from normal age related ailments which were common among senior citizens.

Gaichor and several other activists had been arrested for being alleged members of the CPI (Maoist) group.

The case concerns alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave in Maharashtra's Pune on December 31, 2017.

The speeches allegedly incited violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial on the outskirts of the city. PTI SP GK