Bhima Koregaon Case: SC To Hear Bail Plea Of Accused Jyoti Jagtap On Sep 21

The Supreme Court on Tuesday scheduled a hearing for September 21 in the plea filed by Jyoti Jagtap, who is accused in the Bhima Koregaon case under the anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

She challenges a Bombay High Court order from last year that denied her bail.

A bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sanjay Kumar announced the hearing date for September 21.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) sought a two-week extension to file an affidavit concerning the bail plea.

Advocate Aparna Bhat, representing Jagtap, informed the bench that due to her approximately 3 years in custody, the apex court should expedite the hearing process.

The bench stated while asking the NIA to file the affidavit by September 14, “List on September 21. Let the respondent file an additional affidavit incorporating therein the entire pleadings of the High Court.”

On May 4, the Supreme Court sought responses from the Maharashtra government and the NIA in response to Jagtap’s plea against the High Court’s order.

Jagtap, 32, a member of Kabir Kala Manch (KKM) a cultural group alleged to have ties to the banned CPI (Maoist) organization was arrested by the NIA in September 2020.

According to the NIA, Jagtap and others organized the Elgar Parishad event on December 31, 2017, which led to subsequent violence.

Jagtap approached the Supreme Court to challenge the October 17, 2022 order of the High Court that denied her bail. The singer-activist turned to the High Court after a special NIA Court rejected her bail application on February 14, 2023, which prompted her to move to the Supreme Court.

The High Court deemed NIA’s case against Jagtap to be “prima facie true” and affirmed her involvement in a “larger conspiracy” orchestrated by the banned outfit CPI (Maoist).

The High Court stated that Jagtap was an active member of KKM, which during its stage play at the ‘Elgar Parishad’ conclave on December 31, 2017, in Pune city gave not only “aggressive, but highly provocative slogans”.

Jagtap, accused of singing and raising inflammatory slogans at the conclave along with other KKM members, was arrested in September 2020 and has since been held at Byculla Women’s Prison in Mumbai.”