The Supreme Court has scheduled October 14 to hear the bail petition of advocate Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case in Maharashtra.
A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Augustine George Masih, and Sandeep Mehta fixed the hearing date after the Maharashtra government requested time on a regular hearing day to present its evidence against the accused. Gadling approached the apex court to challenge a January 2023 decision by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, which had rejected his plea for bail.
During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Gadling, submitted that his client has spent over seven years in custody in connection with the arson matter. Sibal argued that a separate case had been foisted upon the advocate alongside the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, in which Gadling has already been granted bail. Sibal added that individuals directly accused of setting the transport vehicles ablaze have already secured bail.
Opposing the plea, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the Maharashtra government, asked the court to list the matter on a non-miscellaneous day so the prosecution could place the evidence against Gadling on record.
Background And Allegations
The case stems from an incident on December 25, 2016, in which Maoist rebels allegedly set fire to 76 vehicles deployed for transporting iron ore from the Surjagarh mines in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district.
Following the attack, authorities booked Gadling under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The prosecution has alleged that Gadling aided Maoist cadres and participated in a criminal conspiracy involving multiple co-accused, including several who are currently absconding.
State investigators also allege that Gadling passed confidential information regarding administrative activities as well as local maps to underground Maoist groups. Furthermore, the charges state that he prompted Maoists to oppose mining operations at Surjagarh and instigated local residents to join the extremist movement.
Prior Proceedings And Related Cases
Earlier in the Supreme Court proceedings, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar recused himself on July 21 from hearing Gadling’s appeal.
Gadling is also an accused in the 2017 Elgar Parishad case. That matter concerns alleged provocative speeches made at an event held at the Shaniwarwada palace-fort in Pune on December 31, 2017, which investigators claimed led to violence the following day near the Koregaon-Bhima War Memorial.
