Court Refuses To Quash Case Against Activist Over Koregaon-Bhima Violence

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to reject Pune police's complaint against civil rights activist Anand Teltumbde in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Koregaon Bhima violence and for his alleged Maoist links. The top court also refused to interfere with the ongoing investigation in the case.

However, a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices Ashok Bhushan and SK Kaul extended the interim protection from arrest granted to Anand Teltumbde by the Bombay High Court by four weeks. The top court said he could seek regular bail from the competent trial court in the meantime.

"We do not think it is a fit case for the grant of the relief sought," the bench said, adding that it was not inclined to give any further relief other than extending the interim protection from arrest as the investigation in the case was at an advanced stage.

Appearing for Anand Teltumbde, senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that till now, the police had not found anything against the activist.

Anand Teltumbde had approached the top court against the December 21, 2018 Bombay High Court order dismissing his plea to reject the complaint. However, the high court had granted him interim protection from arrest for three weeks.

The Elgar Parishad event at Shaniwarwada in Pune was held on December 31, 2017.

Several activists had allegedly made inflammatory speeches and provocative statements at the event, leading to violence, police had said.

Several activists were named in a complaint filed on January 8, 2018. Eight more activists, including Anand Teltumbde, were named in another complaint filed in October, 2018.

Some of the activists facing a case in connection with the event are Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj, P Varavara Rao and Gautam Navlakha.