A special NIA court in Mumbai has rejected the interim bail plea of Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case, who had sought a two-week release to care for his ailing father. The court ruled that the application lacked genuine urgency and cited contradictions in the plea as grounds for rejection.
Gaichor had approached the special court requesting temporary bail, stating that his elderly father’s health was deteriorating and that he had been recently hospitalized. His counsel, advocate Deepa Punjani, submitted medical reports mentioning symptoms such as breathlessness, weakness, chest pain, loss of appetite, and hyperacidity.
However, Special Public Prosecutor Prakash Shetty, representing the National Investigation Agency (NIA), opposed the application, arguing that Gaichor is a “habitual and repeat offender” facing serious charges. He maintained that the grounds cited did not justify interim bail.
Special Judge CS Baviskar, after examining the medical documents, stated that the reported symptoms were common among many senior citizens and even younger individuals, and did not establish a critical condition requiring the accused’s presence.
The court also pointed out that updated information from the hospital revealed that Gaichor’s father had been discharged and was no longer in a serious condition. “Nothing serious is observed by the medical officer concerned,” the judge noted.
Furthermore, the court highlighted a major contradiction in Gaichor’s application. While he claimed no bail plea was pending in any court, his main bail application is currently before the Bombay High Court. The judge remarked that this inconsistency was significant enough to warrant dismissal of the plea. “This application is filed just for the sake of filing, just to take a chance to persuade this Court on emotional ground and nothing else,” the order read.
Gaichor is amongst several accused in the Elgar Parishad case, where the NIA alleges links to banned Maoist organisations and anti-state activities.
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