Elgaar Parishad case: One accused files discharge plea in special court, five more intend to do so today

On Wednesday, lawyers Sudeep Pasbola and R Sathyanarayanan told the court that they will be filing a discharge application for Anand Teltumbde, seeking that he be discharged from certain sections on grounds of non-applicability. Other lawyers also submitted that they intend to file discharge pleas for accused Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut, Sagar Gorkhe and Ramesh Gaichor. The lawyers also sought that before framing of charges, previous orders be complied with and they be provided cloned copies and other evidence NIA is relying on.

Special judge Dinesh E Kothalikar said the Bombay High Court has directed that the case be proceeded with on a daily basis and that he expects cooperation from both parties so that charges can be framed.

On Thursday, the other discharge pleas are likely to be filed. The court directed the NIA to file a reply or argue orally.
In her discharge plea, Jagtap has said that though she was named in the original FIR by the Pune police, which earlier investigated the case, she was not arrested since 2018. The NIA arrested her in 2020.

“The Pune police did not arrest her because her role was limited to Elgaar Parishad in the capacity of a social activist and an artist. The NIA failed to bring on record any new material recovered against her which led to her arrest,” her plea states.

The NIA has alleged that in 2011, she along with Gorkhe and Gaichor had undergone training related to use of weapons and explosives after meeting Milind Teltumbde, who was named as an absconding accused in

the case. The discharge plea states that the witnesses on this point are inconsistent and not substantive. She also denied that she was part of group Kabir Kala Manch, which the NIA claims was a frontal organisation for banned group CPI (Maoist). She has said that she performed street plays, songs etc. and was not connected to any terrorist activity.