Elgar Parishad case: NIA opposes activist Shoma Kanti Sen's medical bail plea

The NIA Thursday strongly opposed Elgar ParishadMaoist links case accused Shoma Kanti Sens plea seeking interim bail on health grounds saying she was suffering from general ailments and there was nothing special about itAdditional Solicitor General KM Nataraj appearing for NIA told a bench of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Augustine George Masih that a medical board can be constituted to verify Sens medical condition and there is nothing which requires immediate treatmentThe medical report shows that these are general ailments and there is nothing special about it If required we will constitute a medical board to ascertain her health condition Nataraj said after the bench expressed inclination to grant medical bailSenior advocate Anand Grover appearing for Sen said she has been in jail for over five years and suffering from various ailmentsThe additional solicitor general vehemently opposed any relief to Sen and said he was ready to argue the main matter relating to bail The top court then said it will hear the matter on December 6The apex court had earlier sought responses from the National Investigation Agency NIA and Maharashtra on an application by Sen seeking interim bail on health groundsSen an English literature professor and womens rights activist was arrested on June 6 2018 in connection with the caseThe apex court was hearing Sens plea challenging the January 17 order of the Bombay High Court which had directed her to approach the special NIA court for bailThe case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave held at Shaniwarwada in Pune city on December 31 2017 which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the KoregaonBhima war memorial located on the citys outskirtsThe Pune police had claimed the conclave was backed by MaoistsThe high court had dealt with Sens plea challenging the November 2019 order passed by Additional Sessions Judge Pune rejecting her bail application She had claimed before the high court that she was falsely implicated in the caseAs noted in an order dated December 2 2022 the investigation of the present crime was subsequently transferred to the National Investigation Agency in the month of January 2020 ie after passing of the impugned order the high court had noted in its January 17 orderIt is to be noted here that after the NIA filed the supplementary charge sheet in view of the substantive change in circumstance the applicant Sen did not approach the trial court at the first instance for appreciation of evidence by it it had saidThe high court had said the petitioner needed to approach the trial court afresh to seek bail so that the trial court could get an opportunity to assess the entire material available on record against herIt had disposed of the bail application and granted her liberty to approach the trial court for reliefThe probe in the case in which more than a dozen activists and academicians were named as accused was transferred to the NIAThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever