By News18
Mumbai, Jul 1 (PTI) A special court here on Tuesday denied interim bail to activist Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, that he sought to visit his ailing father.
Citing medical reports, the court held that his father鈥檚 health condition was not serious and the accused just 鈥渢ook a chance鈥 to persuade it on emotional ground.
The court said all the symptoms of illness mentioned by the accused are 鈥渜uite common for almost every senior citizen鈥 and even among many young men.
None of the medical certificates revealed that the physical condition of his 鈥渇ather is serious鈥, which requires immediate visit.
Gaichor had sought temporary bail for the period of two weeks to be with his father, citing his age and medical condition.
Special judge Chakor Baviskar, designated to hear cases pertaining to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), criticised the accused for casually filing such an application.
鈥淚t is true that, this court, presided over by myself, granted such interim/temporary bail to other accused on humanitarian or educational or other grounds. However, this court has recorded reasoned findings for doing so,鈥 the special judge noted.
鈥淧erhaps, this somewhat liberal approach and earlier orders of this Court prompted this applicant accused to move this application, without much serious cause,鈥 he added.
The court noted that the accused himself informed that his father was discharged from the hospital on June 27 itself.
Citing his discharge card issued by the hospital, the court noted that nothing serious was observed by the medical officer concerned regarding the health of Ramesh鈥檚 father.
The court pulled up the accused, saying the application has been moved 鈥渏ust for the sake of filing and just to take a chance to persuade this court on emotional ground and nothing else鈥.
The court then rejected his plea 鈥渋n the absence of genuine, bona fide, immediate, urgent and serious reason鈥.
Gaichor was arrested in September 2020 for his alleged role in the case and is currently in judicial custody.
The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which police claim triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city. The case saw the arrest of a total of 16 activists. PTI AVI NP