The Supreme Court of India has granted bail to accused individuals in the Bhima Koregaon case, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, who have been in jail since August 2018. After almost five years of custody, the court decided that Gonsalves and Ferreira had made a case for bail. While acknowledging the serious allegations against them, the court emphasized that bail could not be denied solely on that basis.
However, certain conditions were imposed on the individuals as part of their bail. They are prohibited from leaving the state of Maharashtra without obtaining permission from the trial court, and they must surrender their passports to the investigating officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Gonsalves and Ferreira are required to inform the NIA officer of their place of residence and are only allowed to use one mobile phone each. They are also obligated to keep their mobile phones active and charged at all times to remain accessible. Additionally, they must maintain the location status of their mobile phones 24/7, enabling the NIA’s officer to identify their exact whereabouts.
Another condition stated that Gonsalves and Ferreira must report to the Station House Officer of the local police station where they will be residing once a week. In the event of any breach of these conditions or any other conditions imposed by the trial court, the prosecution has the right to seek the cancellation of their bail. Similarly, if the individuals attempt to threaten or influence any of the witnesses involved in the cases, the prosecution can also apply for the cancellation of their bail.
The Supreme Court’s decision overturns the order of the Bombay High Court which had previously rejected the default bail applications of Gonsalves and Ferreira. The two had appealed the High Court’s decision to the Supreme Court after witnessing another co-accused, Sudha Bharadwaj, being granted default bail.
The Bhima Koregaon case originated in 2018 when an FIR (First Information Report) was filed in Pune regarding various offenses. The case has gained significant attention and been the subject of controversy.
