Mumbai: Sudha Bharadwaj released from Byculla jail after three years

MUMBAI: Arrested over three years ago in the Elgar Parishad, lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj (59), was released from Byculla jail on Thursday at 12.41pm.
Bharadwaj was produced before the special NIA court on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court upheld the Bombay high court’s order granting default bail to her last week.
Imposing about 16 conditions, the special NIA judge said that she must furnish cash security of Rs 50,000. “She shall reside within the jurisdiction of this court. She shall not leave the jurisdiction of this court at Mumbai on being released on bail, without permission of this court,'' special judge DE Kothalikar had said.
The court also said that Bharadwaj has to attend trial regularly and it should not be delayed due to her. Last week, the high court had directed she be produced before the special NIA court so that it can set her bail amount and conditions.
The special NIA court also said that Bharadwaj is to submit a list of at least three blood relatives with their detailed residential and work addresses and documentary proof of showing the correctness of the details produced by her.
The court also said that she is not to make any statement regarding the proceedings pending before the court, in any form of media.
The court added, “There shall not be any gathering of visitors, other than near relatives, where the accused shall reside, within the jurisdiction of this court.” The court said that Bharadwaj should not indulge in any similar activities of which she is accused.
“She shall not try to establish communication with co-accused or any other person involved directly or indirectly in similar activities or make any international call to a person indulging in similar activities as alleged against her, through any mode of communication,” the court said. “The accused shall not misuse the liberty,” the court said.
Among the 15 accused, she is the second to get bail. Poet and activist Varavara Rao is out on interim bail on health grounds. The 16th accused, Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist, Fr Stan Swamy (84), who was lodged at Taloja jail since his arrest on October 8, 2020 died in July.