Elgar Parishad–Maoist Links Case: Supreme Court Grants Interim Bail to Accused Jyoti Jagtap
The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to Jyoti Jagtap, who has been incarcerated for more than five years in connection with the Elgar Parishad–Maoist links case.
The Bench of Justices M. M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma passed the order after Senior Advocate Aparna Bhat, appearing for Jagtap, submitted that her judicial custody had extended beyond five years.
Advocate Karishma Maria also represented Jagtap during the proceedings.
Jagtap was arrested in 2020 for her alleged role in the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017. The Maharashtra High Court had earlier observed that she was an active member of Kabir Kala Manch (KKM), adding that the group had raised “not only aggressive, but also highly provocative” slogans during a stage performance at the event.
Notably, in August 2024, the Apex Court had adjourned the bail plea filed by Jyoti Jagtap and listed the same for hearing on August 22nd. Earlier the Court had denied interim relief to her and adjourned the case to August 7.
In May 2023, the Court had issued notice in the bail pleas filed by Jyoti Jagtap and Shoma Sen, accused in the Bhima Koregaon case. A division bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia had also sought response from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the State of Maharashtra.
Bombay High Court's division bench of Justice A.S Gadkari and Justice Milind Jadhav in October 2022, had rejected the bail plea of Jyoti Jagtap, who had filed an appeal against the Special Court’s (NIA Court) order, rejecting her bail application. The Special Court rejected her bail application in February, 2022.
The order rejecting the bail of Jagtap stated that, “The documents referred to herein above clearly highlights the active role of the Appellant in so far as organizing the Elgar Parishad event but more importantly it is the association of Appellant with the prominent members of CPI(M) which is a designated terrorist organization which cannot be lost sight of".
The Division Bench had said that Elgar Parishad was a smaller conspiracy in the larger design and conspiracy of CPI(M). The order in this regard had stated, “The Elgar Parishad event is thus a smaller conspiracy within the larger design and conspiracy of CPI(M) to further its agenda. From one of the letters it is seen that there is a congratulatory message given for the success of the Elgar Parishad event and a direction is issued to exploit the death of the youth in the violence on the following day. It is also seen that CPI(M) has chalked out a detailed strategy for furtherance of its objective to overthrow the democratically elected government of our country and the Appellant and other co-accused are prima facie actively strategising the same”.
Case Title: Jyoti Jagtap v. NIA
Hearing Date: November 19, 2025
Bench: Justice MM Sundresh and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma