Elgar Parishad was a CPI (Maoist) conspiracy says HC while rejecting Jyoti Jagtap’s bail plea

New Delhi, Oct 18: The Bombay High Court has refused to grant bail an accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence. While refusing bail to accused Jyoti Jagtap, the court observed that the Elgar Parishad event which was organised in December 2017 was a smaller conspiracy within the larger agenda of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Justice A S Gadkari and Milind Jadhav considered the evidence submitted in the court and said that Jagtap was in touch with with all other co-accused in the 2018 case to further the agenda of the CPI(Maoist).

"It is seen that the appellant was in active touch with all other co-accused working for different mask organizations to further the objectives of CPI(M). The Elgar Parishad event is thus a smaller conspiracy within the larger design and conspiracy of CPI(M) to further its agenda", the order read.

Jagtap is said to be a member of the banned group Kabir Kala Manch and has been charged with violating the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. She had moved the High Court abasing the ruling of the Special NIA Court which had rejected her bail plea. The court said that the CPI (Maoist) had made a proper strategy to destabilise the democratically elected government and Jagtap and her co-accused were part of it.

The court also said that the stage plays performed by the Kabir Kala Manch members and activists at the Elgar Parishad event were hostile, provocative and was aimed at instigating hate. "KKM admittedly performed and incited hatred and passion by performing on the above agenda in the Elgar Parishad event. There is thus definitely a larger conspiracy within the Elgar Parishad conspiracy by KKM and CPI(Maoist), the High Court observed.

The court took note of the statements presented to it that stated that Jagtap was an active member of the naxalite movement. The evidence proved her active engagement in organising the event from the beginning since she kept track of all the money and expenses.

The case on hand pertains to an event organised at the Shaniwar Wada called the Elgar Parishad on December 31 2017. The following day large scale violence broke out at Bhima Koregaon where lakhs of Dalits had gathered to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, which was won by the British Army with help from the Dalit community against the Peshwas in 1818.