The Supreme Court today requested a reply from both the Maharashtra government and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in response to a plea filed by Hany Babu, an associate professor at Delhi University and an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.

Babu had challenged the Bombay High Court's rejection of his bail petition. Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sanjay Karol issued notices to the state government and the NIA, asking for their responses within three weeks. The NIA has accused Babu of being a co-conspirator in promoting Maoist activities and ideology on the instructions of the banned CPI (Maoist) organization. Babu was arrested in July 2020 and is currently held at Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai.

The case revolves around alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune on December 31, 2017, which the police claimed led to violence near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial the following day, resulting in one fatality and several injuries. Initially investigated by the Pune Police, the case was later taken over by the NIA.

Babu had approached the High Court in June, challenging the special NIA court's denial of his bail earlier in the year. In his plea, Babu argued that the special court had made an error in finding prima facie incriminating material against him. The NIA opposed the bail plea, asserting that Babu actively participated in activities promoting Naxalism and aimed at overthrowing the government.

Case: Hany Babu vs National Investigation Agency and anr.

Diary No. 35415 of 2023.