Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case: SC grants bail to activist Shoma Kanti Sen

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to academic activist Shoma Kanti Sen who was arrested in June 2018 in connection with the Elgar ParishadMaoist links caseA bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Augustine George Masih directed that she be released on bail on such conditions as the special court may consider fit and properIt said the conditions shall include that Sen shall not leave the state of Maharashtra without the permission of the special courtThe appellant Sen shall inform the investigation officer of the NIA about the address where she shall reside during the period she remains enlarged on bail the bench said while pronouncing the orderIt said she shall use only one mobile phone number during the bail period and share it with the investigating officerThe appellant shall also ensure that the mobile remains active and charged round the clock so that she remains constantly accessible throughout the period she remains enlarged on bail it saidDuring this period that is the period during which she remains on bail the appellant shall keep the location status that is GPS of her mobile phone active 24 hours a day and her phone shall be paired with that of the investigating officer of the NIA to enable him at any given time to identify the appellants exact location the bench saidIt directed that while on bail Sen shall report to the station house officer of the police station within whose jurisdiction she shall reside once every fortnightIn the event there is breach of any of these conditions or any other conditions that may be imposed by the special court independently it would be open for the prosecution to seek cancellation of bail granted to the appellant before the special court the bench saidSen an English literature professor and womens rights activist was arrested in connection with the case on June 6 2018The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave held at Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31 2017 which police claimed triggered violence the next day near the KoregaonBhima war memorial located on the citys outskirtsThe Pune Police had claimed that the conclave was backed by MaoistsThe probe in the case in which more than a dozen activists and academicians have been named as accused was transferred to the National Investigation Agency 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