SC notice to NIA on Varavara Rao’s medical bail plea

New Delhi, July 19: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on a plea by Bhima Koregaon case accused P Varavara Rao seeking regular bail on medical grounds.

A bench headed by Justice U U Lalit said the matter would be heard on August 10.
The top court had extended Varavara Rao's interim protection till further orders on July 12, news agency PTI reported.

The 83-year-old, who has challenged the Bombay High Court order rejecting his petition for permanent medical bail, is currently on interim bail on medical grounds and was to surrender on July 12.

The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.

The Pune police had also claimed that the conclave was organised by people with alleged Maoist links. The NIA later took over the probe into the matter.