In a significant relief after nearly eight years in jail, the Bombay High Court on Monday granted bail to lawyer-activist Surendra Gadling. He was the last of the 16 named accused in the Bhima-Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case still in prison since his arrest on June 6, 2018.

Court Grants Bail: Detailed Order Later

A bench of Justice Ajay Gadkari and Justice Kamal Khata announced the order in open court. The court granted him bail on usual conditions, similar to those given earlier to co-accused like Hany Babu.

The bench said it will pass a detailed order later in the day and upload it.

Senior advocate Sudeep Pasbola argued for Gadling and highlighted his long time in jail. The plea was opposed by Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, assisted by Special Public Prosecutor Chintan Shah.

They pointed to Gadling’s prior record — the 2016 Surajgarh arson case in Gadchiroli. In that case, he is accused of planning a criminal conspiracy in which more than 80 vehicles, including trucks and motorcycles carrying iron ore from the Surajgarh mines, were set on fire. He was formally arrested in that case on March 18, 2016, while he was already in custody in the Bhima-Koregaon matter.

Still in Jail:

Even though he has got bail now, Gadling will continue to remain in jail because his bail plea in the arson case is still pending before the Supreme Court of India.

Case Details: Surendra Gadling vs Union of India