Mumbai, October 2: Allowing Anand Teltumbde to travel abroad could have posed a grave national threat, the Bombay High Court signaled on Wednesday as it declined to relax bail conditions for the academic and Dalit rights activist accused in the 2018 Elgaar Parishad–Bhima Koregaon violence case.
A bench of Justices Ajey S Gadkari and Ranjitsinha R Bhonsale made it clear that the court was not inclined to grant permission for foreign travel, suggesting instead that Teltumbde deliver his lectures through video conferencing.
The judges stressed that since his discharge application had already been rejected by a special court, no leniency could be afforded at this stage.
NIA’s Objection: Fear of Absconding
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) opposed Teltumbde’s application with forceful arguments, warning that any overseas travel could result in him seeking asylum abroad to avoid facing trial.
In an affidavit filed earlier this year, the NIA highlighted that several other charge-sheeted accused in similar cases had already fled India and secured shelter in foreign countries.
The agency described Teltumbde as an “active and senior member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist),” and warned that allowing him to travel could create an irreversible security risk.
The Plea and Its Purpose
Teltumbde, who was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in November 2022 (later upheld by the Supreme Court), had sought permission to attend academic engagements in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom in April–May 2025.
Through his counsel, senior advocate Mihir Desai, he argued that the invitations were not symbolic but vital to international discourse on caste, democracy, and social justice.
Desai submitted that participation in these seminars was central to his academic role and that preventing him from traveling curtailed his intellectual freedom.
He further pointed out that an appeal against the rejection of Teltumbde’s discharge plea was already pending before the High Court.
Court’s Firm Stance The bench, however, sided with the prosecution’s caution. Justice Gadkari orally remarked: Y You may consider that you can give a lecture through VC. Don’t go. Now the attending circumstance is that the application for discharge is rejected.”
Faced with the court’s firm position, Teltumbde’s lawyer withdrew the application, leading the bench to formally dispose of the plea as withdrawn.
Background of the Case
The Elgaar Parishad event, held on December 31, 2017, in Pune, is alleged by authorities to have incited violence at the Bhima Koregaon war memorial the following day.
Teltumbde was arrested in April 2020 and accused of having Maoist links. His bail, though granted with strict restrictions, specifically prohibits him from leaving the jurisdiction of the special NIA court in Mumbai and requires the surrender of his passport.
Liberty vs. Security
The episode underscores the ongoing friction between civil liberties and state security imperatives. For rights advocates, denying international travel to a scholar undermines academic freedom and intellectual exchange.
For security agencies, however, the risk of absconding in a case with alleged Maoist links outweighs personal liberties.
By permitting virtual participation but denying travel, the High Court chose caution, ensuring that national security concerns remain paramount over individual academic pursuits.
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