Babu, arrested on 28 July 2020 and currently held at Taloja Central Prison, had argued that prolonged delay in the trial violated his rights.
Published Dec 04, 2025 | 4:44 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 04, 2025 | 4:44 PM
Hany Babu. Credit: x.com/hanybabu
Synopsis: The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to Elgaar Parikrama-Bhima Koregaon accused Hany Babu, a former Delhi University professor jailed since July 2020, citing over five years of incarceration without trial. Justices Ajey Gadkari and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale refused the NIA’s request for a stay. Babu joins 10 other co-accused released on bail, while three still remain in custody.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday, 4 December, granted bail to Hany Babu, former Delhi University professor and one of the accused in the Elgaar Parikrama-Bhima Koregaon case, citing his incarceration for more than five years without the commencement of trial.
A division bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale delivered the verdict, which had been reserved on 3 October, and ordered Babu’s release on a personal bond of ₹1 lakh with one or more sureties of the same amount, reported The Indian Express.
The NIA requested a stay on the bail order to enable an appeal to the Supreme Court, but the bench declined, noting the length of Babu’s detention.
Babu, arrested on 28 July 2020 and currently held at Taloja Central Prison, had argued that prolonged delay in the trial violated his rights. His counsel, Yug Chaudhry, highlighted that eight co-accused have already been released on bail by the Supreme Court or the High Court since the earlier rejection of Babu’s plea in September 2022, and that the prosecution had failed to respond to his discharge application filed two years ago.
The NIA countered that the special court intended to hear all discharge applications together and that Babu’s period in custody was shorter than that of several co-accused.
Of the 16 activists, academics, and lawyers arrested in connection with the case, Jesuit priest Father Stan Swamy died in custody in July 2021.
10 others — including Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Anand Teltumbde, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Shoma Sen, Gautam Navlakha, Sudhir Dhawale, and Rona Wilson — have secured bail.
Jyoti Jagtap and Mahesh Raut are on interim bail. Lawyer Surendra Gadling and cultural activists Sagar Gorkhe and Ramesh Gaichor remain in jail without regular bail.
