Varavara Rao gets bail Extension

The Bombay High Court has extended the bail of prominent revolutionary writer and veteran leader Varavara Rao, who is accused in the Bhima Koregaon case. It is learned that he is the accused in the case related to the 2018 insurance Koregaon riots. He has been in jail since August 28 that year.

However, he filed a bail petition last year on the grounds that he was not in good health. The Bombay High Court granted bail to Varavara Rao for six months on March 6, 2021 in Medical Grounds. However, the court granted the petition seeking extension of bail even though he was due to surrender in August. The Bombay High Court today extended his bail once again as part of a fresh hearing on his surrender.

The bench, headed by Justice SS Shinde, said that cases were on the rise in the Third Wave and he could not be sent to jail again at such a time. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has questioned the authorities on the need to send him on bail at a time when his health is deteriorating and corona cases are on the rise.

Reminded that the Corona third wave is likely to last 50 to 60 days and that many front line workers are suffering from the epidemic.  Advocate Sandesh Patil, appearing for NIA, contended that Varavara Rao was in fact given bail for only six months and had already extended his bail several times. The court rejected the NIA's arguments and extended Varavara Rao's medical bail till February 5. It was clarified that the permanent bail petition filed by him would be heard on the same day.