Supreme Court Grants Crucial Six-Week Interim Bail to Elgar Parishad Accused Mahesh Raut on Grave Medical Grounds

In a significant humanitarian intervention, the Supreme Court has granted six weeks of interim bail to Mahesh Raut, a 34-year-old tribal rights activist and one of the accused in the high-profile Elgar Parishad case. The decision, delivered by a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, comes as a crucial temporary reprieve for Raut, who recently suffered a cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment for dengue.

Raut, a PhD scholar, has been incarcerated since June 2018 under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his alleged involvement in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.

The prosecution claims he, along with other activists, conspired to incite caste violence at Bhima Koregaon in Maharashtra on January 1, 2018, following the Elgar Parishad conclave held on December 31, 2017, in Pune. His arrest marked him as one of several prominent academics, lawyers, and activists implicated in the controversial case.

The urgency for interim bail arose from a dire medical emergency.

Raut was initially hospitalized for dengue, but his condition severely deteriorated when he experienced a cardiac arrest, necessitating Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Although he is now reported to be stable, the court acknowledged the need for continued medical observation and follow-up treatment outside of prison, recognizing the gravity of his health situation.

This serious health scare prompted his legal team to renew their plea for temporary release, a plea previously denied by the Bombay High Court earlier this year.

The Supreme Court, while granting bail, imposed strict conditions to ensure Raut's compliance with legal procedures. He is prohibited from leaving the state of Maharashtra, must surrender his passport, and is explicitly forbidden from contacting any of his co-accused or witnesses involved in the case.

These measures aim to balance the accused's right to adequate medical care with the ongoing judicial process.

The Elgar Parishad case continues to be a subject of intense scrutiny and debate, involving numerous prominent figures. Besides Raut, the list of accused includes human rights activists and intellectuals such as Stan Swamy (who passed away in custody), Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Rona Wilson, Sudhir Dhawale, Shoma Sen, Surendra Gadling, Hany Babu, Gautam Navlakha, and Anand Teltumbde, among others.

The case has raised significant concerns regarding civil liberties and the application of anti-terror laws in India. This interim bail for Mahesh Raut underscores the judiciary's role in addressing the health and humanitarian aspects of undertrial prisoners, even in cases of national security significance.