MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday moved a plea before a special court here seeking cancellation of bail granted to activists Sudha Bharadwaj and Varavara Rao, both accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, citing violation of bail conditions.
Bharadwaj was granted bail on technical grounds in 2021, while Rao walked out of jail a year later.
At the time of granting them bail, the trial court imposed a slew of other conditions on the duo, including not leaving Mumbai without the court's permission, surrendering their passports to the NIA, and not speaking to the media about the case.
The court had directed that they shall not commit any other offence, either of a similar or any other nature.
In a plea filed before a special NIA court here, the probe agency sought cancellation of their bail primarily on the ground that they attended an event at the Mumbai Press Club on January 19 this year.
The probe agency's plea highlighted that the duo, along with several co-accused, including Arun Ferreira, Anand Teltumbde, Rona Wilson, and others, allegedly participated in the meeting.
It claimed that the meeting was convened with the intention of propagating the ideology of the proscribed organisation CPI (Maoist) and to deliberate upon the future course of action for spreading the "Urban Naxal" movement.
The agency alleged that it constituted a direct threat to the nation's integrity, sovereignty, and security.
Their participation was in clear contravention of the bail conditions, which prohibit them from engaging in meetings or activities that may further the objectives of banned organisations or pose a threat to public order and national security, the NIA said.
The agency asserted that by indulging in such an act, the accused have rendered themselves "undeserving of the concession of bail".
The conduct of the accused demonstrates "a blatant and wilful disregard" of courts' orders and reflects a complete lack of respect for the judicial process, the plea stated.
The Press Club, meanwhile, suspended three of its members two days after the event.
The court sought the response of both the accused, and the matter will next be heard on May 22.
The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial located on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.
The Pune police, which probed the case initially, had claimed the conclave was organised by people with alleged Maoist links. An FIR was lodged by the police on January 8, 2018, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The NIA later took over the probe in the case, in which more than a dozen activists and academicians were arrested. Most of the accused are currently out on bail.