Bhima Koregaon case: After 5 years in jail, Bombay High Court grants bail to former DU professor Hany Babu

The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to former Delhi University Professor Hany Babu, who has been booked for his alleged role in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon conspiracy case.

A division bench of Justice AS Gadkari and Justice Ranjitsinha Raja Bhonsale granted bail to the Malayali academic.

Babu was arrested in July 2020 by the NIA under the UAPA over alleged links to Maoists in the Bhima Koregaon case. The High Court dismissed his initial appeal against the special court's order and denied him bail.

In May 2024, he withdrew the special leave petition filed in the Supreme Court, saying he wanted to approach the High Court for bail, citing that the Supreme Court and the High Court had granted bail to eight of the accused in the case.

Babu highlighted that he has spent over 5 years and 2 months in prison without trial, and that the trial in the special court has also been delayed.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh argued that Babu has not spent a substantial period in prison like Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhawade, and thus cannot be granted bail merely based on long incarceration.

Prof Babu has been accused of having 'deep involvement' with the Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF) and the CPI (Maoist). He is also accused of following a leftist book, "Secrecy Handbook", which allegedly was recovered from Babu, explicitly states that "if one comrade is arrested, other comrades must do everything to help…by providing legal representation, publicity and organising protest."

(With Live Law updates)