Bhima Koregaon case: Former DU Prof Hany Babu released after five years

Former Delhi University associate professor and social justice advocate Hany Babu Tharayil was released from prison this week after over five years of incarceration in the Elgar Parishad Bhima Koregaon case. His release followed an order of Bombay High Court granting him regular bail, noting his detention without a completed trial or framed charges violated his constitutional right to liberty.

Babu, who taught English and linguistics at Delhi University, is known for his work on language rights, caste justice and academic freedom. Before his arrest, he was regarded as a scholar who urged critical thinking and supported campaigns for marginalised communities.

He was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in July 2020 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The agency accused him of having links with banned Maoist groups and participating in an alleged conspiracy connected to the violence that broke out near Bhima Koregaon in January 2018. Babu has consistently denied the charges, asserting he was targeted for his academic and rights-based work rather than any criminal activity.

During his five years in Taloja Central Jail, Babu faced multiple health challenges, including COVID-19 and a severe eye infection that required hospital care. His wife, academic Jenny Rowena, repeatedly raised concerns about his medical condition and the strain that long-term imprisonment placed on the family. Support campaigns by students, scholars and civil liberties groups in India and abroad continued throughout his custody.

In granting bail, the court said detention could not be indefinite when the trial remained stalled. However, the order does not amount to an acquittal. The case would continue and the NIA may still challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.

Babu’s release has renewed debate about the application of India’s anti-terror laws, particularly when trials stretch over years without conclusion. Civil liberties groups have welcomed the court’s decision as a step towards rebalancing constitutional protections and due process.

For now, Hany Babu returns home after five years, but the legal and public debate around his arrest, activism and the case is far from over.