NIA court refuses bail to Anand Teltumbde

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here on Friday rejected `default' bail application of scholar and activist Anand Teltumbde, arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. The NIA court had earlier rejected similar plea of another accused in the case, activist Gautam Navlakha. Teltumbde, Navlakha and nine others have been booked under stringent provisions of the UAPA for allegedly having links with the Maoists and conspiring to overthrow the government.

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here on Friday rejected `default' bail application of scholar and activist Anand Teltumbde, arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. Teltumbde had sought bail under section 167 (2) of Code of Criminal Procedure on July 13 as the NIA failed to file a charge sheetagainst him within 90 days as mandated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Such bail is sometimes called default bail. But special judge D E Kothalikar rejected the application. On July 12, the court had granted the NIA ninety days' extension to file charge sheet.

Teltumbde was arrested by the NIA on April 14 after he surrendered following the Supreme Court's direction. The NIA court had earlier rejected similar plea of another accused in the case, activist Gautam Navlakha.

Teltumbde, Navlakha and nine others have been booked under stringent provisions of the UAPA for allegedly having links with the Maoists and conspiring to overthrow the government. They were initially booked by the Pune police after violence erupted near Koregaon-Bhima in Pune district.

Inflammatory speeches and provocative statements at the Elgar Parishad meet held in Pune on December 31, 2017, `backed' by Maoists, triggered the violence the next day, the police had alleged.

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