Bhima-Koregaon case: Pune Sessions Court rejects bail application of Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and Sudha Bharadwaj

The Pune Sessions Court on Friday rejected bail plea application of Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and Sudha Bharadwaj, three of the five accused arrested on August 28 in the Bhima Koregaon case. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi will on October 29 hear Maharashtra government's plea challenging a Bombay High Court order that refused to grant more time to the Pune Police for filing charge sheet against activists arrested in connection with the case.

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court refused to grant interim relief and extention of house arrest to Arun Ferriera which got over on Friday in Bhima Koregaon Violence case. Pune Sessions Court has also rejected an application of Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves seeking extension of house arrest for 7 days.

The Bombay High Court also adjourned matter of plea for squashing of FIR against Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde in Bhima Koregaon Violence case till November 1. The court has directed the police not to take any coercive action against them till November 1.

READ | Bhima-Koregaon Case: Maharashtra Government Moves Supreme Court Challenging Bombay High Court Order

Earlier on Thursday, the Hyderabad High Court extended the house arrest of activist Rao by three weeks.

On October 1, the Delhi High Court released Gautam Navlakha from house arrest. While granting him relief, the Delhi High Court said that he availed the privilege granted by the Supreme Court of India last week in which he had the freedom to approach any appropriate forum within four weeks in order to seek relief in the case. The Delhi High Court also said that Gautam Navlakha’s detention has extended for 24 hours, which was “untenable”.

Prior to this, the Supreme Court on September 28 refused to interfere in the arrest of the 5 accused persons in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case. In a 2:1 majority judgment, the court had rejected the plea for SIT probe in the case and said that "accused can't choose which agency will probe them." The Supreme Court while pronouncing the judgment had said "it's not a case of arrest due to dissent".

"Accused persons do not have a say in the investigating agency that probes them. Not a case of arrest due to dissent," said Justice Khanwilkar, adding, "evidence doesn't show that the arrest was made to quell dissent."

READ | Urban Naxals Case | Supreme Court Refuses To Interfere In The Case, Says 'Evidence Doesn't Show That Arrest Was Made To Quell Dissent’

The Supreme Court, on August 29, had put the 5 persons detained by the Pune police under house arrest till September 6.

The detentions following the multi-city raids, namely of Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha and Arun Ferreira, by the Pune police were said to be the outcome of the arrests made by the Pune police in June, and the information ascertained from them.

Earlier in June, Pune police had arrested Rona Wilson, along with Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut and Rana Jacob in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence. After the arrests, the police had recovered a letter containing the plan of a Rajiv Gandhi type assassination plot for Prime Minister Modi, from Wilson’s laptop.