The Supreme Court on Monday, September 16, 2025, granted six weeks’ interim medical bail to Mahesh Raut, one of the accused in the Bhima Koregaon–Elgar Parishad case, who has been in custody since his arrest in June 2018 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA).
Court proceedings
A Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma passed the order after Raut moved the Court citing serious health concerns. Raut suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, a progressive autoimmune disorder that attacks the joints, bones, and muscles. He argued that the necessary specialised treatment was unavailable inside prison facilities or in government hospitals, making interim release essential.
Senior Advocate C.U. Singh, appearing for Raut, highlighted that the Bombay High Court had already granted him regular bail in September 2023 after finding no sufficient material to justify continued detention. However, that relief never took effect because the High Court, at the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) request, stayed the order for a week to allow the agency to move the Supreme Court. Since then, the stay has been extended repeatedly.
Although Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju was not present, another counsel appeared on behalf of the NIA and opposed the plea. The prosecution reiterated its allegations that Raut was responsible for fund transfers to Maoists and maintained that the charges against him were serious.
The Court, however, sided with the petitioner on medical grounds, observing:
“The applicant is seeking interim bail on medical grounds coupled with the fact that he was actually granted bail (by the High Court). We are inclined to grant medical bail for a period of six weeks.”
In its order, the Bench noted that “Inasmuch as the applicant – Mahesh Sitaram Raut is seeking interim bail on medical ground, coupled with the fact that he was actually granted bail by the High Court, against which the Special Leave Petition has been filed by the NIA, we are inclined to grant medical bail, for a period of six weeks, from the date on which the conditions are imposed by the concerned Trial Court. Accordingly, the applicant – Mahesh Sitaram Raut is granted interim bail for a period of six weeks, as aforementioned, subject to the terms and conditions 2 that can be imposed by the Trial Court”.
Raut is currently lodged in Taloja Central Jail, where several other co-accused in the case have also been held.
The complete order may be read here.
Earlier interim bails granted to Raut
This is the third instance of the Supreme Court granting Raut temporary release in the past year, in addition to reliefs granted by lower courts:
- April–May 2024: A special NIA court in Pune granted him interim bail to prepare for and appear in his LL.B. second semester examinations. The order directed that he be released between April 20 and May 16, subject to a personal bond of ₹50,000, disclosure of his residence, and sharing of his phone number for tracking purposes. The court also permitted the NIA to monitor his phone during the bail period.
- June–July 2024: A vacation bench of the Supreme Court granted him two weeks’ interim bail (June 26–July 10) to perform ceremonies connected with the last rites of his grandmother. The NIA opposed this plea on grounds of jurisdiction, but the Court ruled that since its own proceedings were pending, the application was rightly before it.
- September 2024: The Bombay High Court ordered Siddharth Law College, Mumbai, to admit Raut as a student for the 2024–2027 LL.B. batch, holding that imprisonment cannot strip a person of their right to education. The Court said that refusing admission despite a validly allotted seat would amount to violation of his fundamental right to education.
These repeated interim releases illustrate how courts have recognised Raut’s educational and familial rights, even while his broader entitlement to bail remains in abeyance.
Background of the case
The Elgar Parishad event on December 31, 2017, held in Pune to mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, became the starting point for a sweeping investigation. Authorities alleged that “inflammatory speeches” delivered at the event incited the caste violence that broke out the next day between Dalits and Marathas.
The case was initially probed by the Pune Police, which later transferred it to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Investigators alleged that the event was a front for a larger Maoist conspiracy to destabilise the State and wage war against the country.
A total of 16 activists, lawyers, and academics were arrested, including Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha, Hany Babu, Shoma Sen, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Ramesh Gaichor, Sagar Gorkhe, Jyoti Jagtap, Mahesh Raut, and Father Stan Swamy.
The prosecution’s case against Raut specifically alleges that he was a member of CPI (Maoist), recruited others into the organisation, and was entrusted with ₹5 lakh in funds as per a letter allegedly recovered from co-accused Rona Wilson’s laptop.
Over the years, courts have released several co-accused on bail:
- Sudha Bharadwaj (default bail, December 2021 – upheld by Supreme Court)
- Varavara Rao (medical bail, August 2022 – Supreme Court)
- Anand Teltumbde (merit bail, 2022 – upheld by Supreme Court)
- Vernon Gonsalves & Arun Ferreira (July 2023 – Supreme Court)
- Shoma Sen (April 2024 – Bombay HC, upheld by SC)
- Gautam Navlakha (May 2024 – Bombay HC, upheld by SC)
However, the bail plea of Jyoti Jagtap, a Kabir Kala Manch member, remains pending. The Bombay High Court had earlier rejected her plea in October 2022, noting that certain dialogues in Kabir Kala Manch plays ridiculed government slogans such as Ram Mandir, gomutra, and acche din, and were prima facie capable of inciting hatred. Her case will now be taken up by the Supreme Court in October 2025, along with Mahesh Raut.
Notably, Father Stan Swamy, also an accused in the case, died in judicial custody in July 2021 after being repeatedly denied interim bail despite suffering from Parkinson’s disease and ill health. His death drew sharp criticism of the State’s handling of UAPA detainees.
The Bail Puzzle: Two years of inaction
Mahesh Raut was granted regular bail on merits by the Bombay High Court in September 2023, making him the sixth accused in the case to secure such relief. The High Court found that there was no substantive evidence linking him directly to violent or terror-related activity.
However, the High Court, at the NIA’s request, stayed its own order for one week to allow the agency to file an appeal. The Supreme Court subsequently admitted the appeal and extended the stay indefinitely. For two years since then, Raut’s regular bail has been in suspension, leaving him confined despite the judicial finding in his favour.
The Supreme Court’s decision to release Mahesh Raut on medical grounds for six weeks adds to the string of temporary reliefs he has been granted over the years — to study, to grieve, and now to access medical care. Yet, the fundamental question remains unresolved: why does a man, whom the Bombay High Court found entitled to bail on merits two years ago, remain behind bars?
The prolonged suspension of his bail underscores a troubling pattern in UAPA cases — where interim reliefs are allowed piecemeal, but substantive liberty is indefinitely deferred. This effectively neutralises the High Court’s judgment and leaves the accused in a legal limbo, serving an unofficial sentence without trial.
Related:
Bhima Koregaon Case: HRDs and families await justice, five years down
SC grants bail to Varavara Rao on medical grounds in Bhima Koregaon case
Bhima Koregaon case: Why did Bombay HC grant bail to Sudha Bharadwaj, but not her co-accused?