The Bombay High Court on Friday extended protection from arrest for Anand Teltumbde in the Bhima-Koregaon violence case till July 1.
A single-judge Bench of Justice Revati Mohitedere was hearing a petition filed by Mr. Teltumbde seeking anticipatory bail in the case through senior counsel Mihir Desai.
On February 11, another Bench had not only extended his protection from arrest till February 22, but also directed the Pune police to release him on ₹1 lakh personal bond if they arrest him.
On February 5, the Pune police informed another Bench that they would not arrest Mr. Teltumbde till February 12 midnight. The court had directed Additional Public Prosecutor Aruna Kamat Pai, appearing for the Pune police, to give an undertaking as a precondition to secure time to file an affidavit opposing the petition.
The affidavit contained the same reasons Ms. Kamat Pai had mentioned earlier, that there is incriminating evidence against Mr. Teltumbde and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act under which he has been booked does not allow for anticipatory bail.
On February 1, a special court in Pune had quashed the pre-arrest bail plea filed by him and observed, “the alleged offences against him were ‘serious’ in nature and that there appeared to be ‘no mala fide’ exercise of power by the investigating agency to implicate.”