ACTIVIST BHARADWAJ GRANTED DEFAULT BAIL BY BOMBAY HC

The Bombay High Court allowed the default bail plea filed by advocate Sudha Bharadwaj an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case. However, the HC rejected the bail plea filed by other accused, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, P Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, and Arun Ferreira.

On December 8, Bharadwaj will be produced before the NIA court, where the bail conditions will be listed.

Bharadwaj, a lawyer, and activist who has worked for the rights of tribal communities and a professor at the National Law University, Delhi, was arrested and has been in jail since August 2018. 

Advocate Yug Mohit Chaudhry, appearing for Bharadwaj, submitted that upon expiry of 90 days of detention, there was no valid order of extending the time for filing the charge sheet, and hence Bharadwaj is entitled to default bail. He further contended that Additional Sessions of the trial court, Pune, was not designated to hear the matters concerning offenses under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Mr. Chaudhary further informed that through RTI queries filed by Bharadwaj, the Maharashtra government, and the high court said that Judge Vadane was never to act as a special judge under any legal provision.

Author: Papiha Ghoshal