Scholar-activist Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case, was released from the Taloja central prison in Navi Mumbai on Saturday, November 26. His release comes a day after the Supreme Court rejected the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) plea challenging the bail granted to him. Teltumbde, 73, who spent two-and-a-half years behind bars in the case, walked out of the jail around 1.15 pm.
"On Friday, the apex court had dismissed the NIA's plea challenging the Bombay High Court's order giving bail to Teltumbde. Accordingly, he was released after the completion of bail formalities," an official said. The Bombay High Court had, on November 18, granted bail to the activist. The court made a prima facie observation that there was no evidence against Teltumbde that he had been involved in terrorist activities. However, the bail was stayed as the NIA moved the Supreme Court against the HC order. The apex court refused to interfere with the High Court’s judgement, thus granting him bail.
In the Supreme Court, the NIA charged Teltumbde for being an active member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and deeply involved in "furtherance of its agenda". Strongly opposing the bail plea, NIA's special public prosecutor Sandesh Patil also accused Teltumbde of inspiring his brother, the late Moaist leader Milind Teltumbde, to participate in the movement and shared prohibited literature from international conferences with him.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal — representing Teltumbde — replied that Teltumbde had been estranged from his brother and had not met him in 30 years. The senior advocate also added that NIA’s linking of his client to Milind was “based on hearsay evidence, which is given in a statement recorded under Section 161 CrPC, which is inadmissible in evidence.” After hearing detailed arguments, the Supreme Court dismissed the NIA's plea.
Teltumbde is the third accused of the total 16 arrested in the case to be released on bail. Poet Varavara Rao is currently out on bail on health grounds, and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj is out on regular bail.