Elgar case: NIA seeks cancellation of bail of activists Sudha Bharadwaj and Varavara Rao

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday, May 15, 2026, filed an appeal with a special court in Mumbai seeking cancellation of bail granted to activists Sudha Bharadwaj and Varavara Rao, accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, citing violation of bail conditions.

While Ms. Bharadwaj was granted bail on technical grounds in 2021, Mr. Rao was released from jail a year later.

At the time of granting bail, the court had imposed a number 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 NIA sought cancellation of their bail on the grounds that they had attended an event at the Mumbai Press Club on January 19 this year, which violated their bail conditions.

Two days after the incident, the Press Club suspended three of its members.

The court asked for the defendant’s response and the next hearing of the case will be held on May 22.

The case relates to provocative speeches made at the Elgar Parishad meeting held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which police allege triggered violence near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city the next day.

Pune police, who were initially investigating the case, had claimed that the conclave was organized 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.

NIA later took over the investigation into the case in which more than a dozen activists and academics were arrested. Most of the defendants are currently free on bail.