Sudha Bharadwaj Walks Out Of Jail After Three Years

Sudha Bharadwaj released: Activist and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj on Thursday walked out of Byculla women's prison in Mumbai after an over three-year imprisonment period. She was one of 16 people arrested in connection with the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case and is the first among them to have received default bail.

The 60-year-old's release comes following the Bombay High Court granting her bail on December 1. The Supreme Court further rejected the plea put forward by the National Investigation Agency, challenging Bharadwaj's bail, saying it saw no reason to interfere with the HC's order. More here.

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A video of Bharadwaj waving to the media outside the Mumbai prison as she walks to a vehicle with her belongings is making rounds on the internet. Another photo of a wide-smiling Bharadwaj, tweeted by lawyer Indira Jaising, post her release is going viral.

The bail conditions for Bharadwaj, who was released on a Rs 50,000 bond, have been set by a special NIA court, which has asked that the activist not leave the city without permission and submit her passport. Bharadwaj has also asked to refrain from speaking to the media on the case she was arrested in.

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What is the Bhima Koregaon case?

The Bhima Koregaon case relates to the violence that broke out January 1, 2018, following allegedly inflammatory speeches delivered a day prior at the Elgar Parishad event in Pune. The event holds significance for the Dalit community in India, marking the anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima from the 19th century, and was attended by prominent activists and speakers, many of whom were arrested in the wake of the succeeding violence.

Police had claimed the event was backed by the Communist Party and activists like Stan Swamy, who passed away in prison this year, arrested in connection to the case were charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Bharadwaj was taken into police custody in October 2018. Know more about her here.