SC Refuses to Quash FIR Against Activist Anand Teltumbde in Koregaon-Bhima Case

Team Udayavani, Jan 15, 2019, 4:32 AM IST

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to quash the Pune police’s FIR against civil rights activist Anand Teltumbde in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Koregaon Bhima violence and for his alleged Maoist links.

The apex court also refused to interfere with the ongoing investigation in the case. However, a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Ashok Bhushan and S K Kaul extended the interim protection from arrest granted to Teltumbde by the Bombay High Court by four weeks. The apex court said Teltumbde could seek regular bail from the competent trial court in the meantime.

“We do not think it is a fit case for the grant of the relief sought,” the bench said, adding that it was not inclined to give any further relief other than extending the interim protection from arrest as the investigation in the case was at an advanced stage.

Appearing for Teltumbde, senior advocate Kapil Sibal submitted that till now, the police had not found anything against the activist. In the order, the bench said, “We are not inclined to interfere at this stage.”

It noted that Sibal, appearing for the activist, submitted that interim protection against arrest granted by the High Court on October 15, 2018 to the petitioner remained in force until Friday January 18, 2019.

“We extend the said interim protection for a period of four weeks from today within which the petitioner may seek regular/pre-arrest bail from the Competent Authority, if so advised. The Special Leave Petition is disposed of in the above terms” the bench said.

Teltumbde had approached the apex court against the December 21, 2018 Bombay High Court order dismissing his plea to quash the FIR. The Elgar Parishad event at Shaniwarwada in Pune was held on December 31, 2017.

Several activists had allegedly made inflammatory speeches and provocative statements at the event, leading to to the violence, the police had said. Several activists were named in an FIR lodged on January 8, 2018.

Eight more activists, including Teltumbde, were named in another FIR filed in October, 2018. Some of the activists facing a case in connection with the event are Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj, P Varavara Rao and Gautam Navlakha. According to the police, the Elgar Parishad event was funded and supported by Maoists.