SC Grants Bail To Shoma Sen In Bhima Koregaon Violence Case

The Supreme Court granted bail to Shoma Sen, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, on Friday. Sen, a former Nagpur University professor, was arrested on June 6, 2018, five months after the violent incidents in the Maharashtra village.

Charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967, for alleged Maoist links in connection with the case, Sen has been in custody since her arrest, awaiting trial.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) informed the apex court on March 15 that it did not require her further custody.

Subsequently, a bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Augustine George Masih granted her bail on Friday. The bench considered the delay in framing charges against the accused, her advanced age, and multiple ailments in granting relief. However, the bench also directed her to follow certain conditions, warning that Sen's bail would be cancelled if any of the conditions were violated or not complied with.

These conditions include submitting her passport, pairing her phone with that of the NIA's investigating officer for constant monitoring of her location, and not leaving Maharashtra without permission from the special court hearing the trial.