SC grants bail to activists Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira in Bhima Koregaon case
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, noting that they have been in custody for five years.
A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia said Gonsalves and Ferreira shall not leave Maharashtra and surrender their passports to the police.
It also directed the two activists to use one mobile each and let the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case, know their addresses.
The activists had moved the top court against a Bombay High Court order rejecting their bail pleas.
The case pertains to the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which according to the Pune police was funded by Maoists.
The inflammatory speeches made there led to violence at the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune the next day, police had alleged.
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Maharashtra polls: Nominations of 7,994 candidates across 288 assembly seats found valid
Mumbai (PTI): The nomination papers of 7,994 candidates filed across the 288 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, where polling will take place on November 20, were found valid after scrutiny, election officials have said.
On the other hand, the nomination papers of 921 candidates were found invalid, the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said in a statement on Thursday.
The process of filing nominations by candidates began on October 22 and ended on October 29.
The papers submitted by contestants were scrutinised on October 30, while the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is November 4.
Polling for the 288-member state assembly will be held on November 20 and results will be declared on November 23.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance, consisting of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), are the main contenders for power though smaller parties and independents are also in the poll fray.
