In fresh developments in the Bhima Koregaon case, the Supreme Court has asked the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court to decide on the framing of charges in the case within three months.
A bench of justices UU Lalit and Ravindra Bhat was hearing a bail petition filed by Vernon Gonsalves, one of the accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence conspiracy case. The court did not dismiss the bail plea, instead it adjourned the bail hearing for three months during which the NIA court is to decide on framing of charges.
It is noteworthy that the Pune Police had filed two chargesheets in November 2018 and February 2019. After the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case, it filed a chargesheet against eight accused in October 2020. However, charges are yet to be framed, as a result of which the trial has not commenced yet.
Vernon Gonsalves, along with co-accused Sudha Bharadwaj and Arun Ferreira, stands accused of being member of CPI (Maoist) a banned left-wing extremist terrorist organization. Senior Advocate Rebecca John appeared for Gonsalves, and according to LiveLaw, submitted that there was nothing in the supplementary chargesheet to implicate him.
When the NIA told the court about there being absconding accused in the case, the court directed the NIA to issue a proclaimed offender notice against the absconding accused. It also directed them to segregate the trial of Gonsalves from that of these absconding accused.
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