Bhima Koregaon: NIA court denies bail to four

New Delhi, February 23

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Mumbai has rejected bail pleas of four accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case, noting they wanted to end Narendra Modi’s rule with a Rajiv Gandhi-type incident.

“I am of the unhesitant opinion that the applicants have failed to make out a case for grant of bail,” Special Judge Dinesh E Kothalikar said in his February 14 order, turning down the bail pleas of accused Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor and Jyoti Jagtap, and Hany Babu.

It took note of a letter allegedly written by co-accused Rona Wilson to someone which read, “We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi type incident.”

The NIA alleged that Wilson had written a letter that talked of targeting the Prime Minister’s road shows to end “Modi raj” just like former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated.

The court said the material placed on record prima facie established that the accused applicants were actively involved in the organisation of Elgaar Parishad.

The evidence collected by NIA showed that the CPI (Maoist) was bent upon ending the “Modi raj”, the court said, adding if the allegations were taken into consideration in proper perspective, there would be no hesitation to conclude that there was a prima facie case against accused.

It said the slogans raised by them promoted enmity between different groups and the acts were prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony, public peace and tranquility.

The accused along with other members of the banned organisation conspired to create unrest in the country and to overpower the government politically.