Surendra Gadling top Maoist comrade, involved in anti-national acts: Maharashtra govt tells Supreme Court

The Supreme Court was informed by the Maharashtra government today that Surendra Gadling, accused in the Surajgarh Mine Arson Case, is one of the top comrades of the Maoist organisation.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, vehemently opposing the bail plea filed by Gadling, told the court that the case was "of Naxalite activities...attacking our jawans..these persons have provided the logistics..in the Maoist infected areas...".

On a question posed by a bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi on evidence collected in Bhima Koregaon case being used in the present case against Gadling, ASG submitted, "These are the documents collected in Bhima Koregaon which show his role in the Surajgarh case..150 trucks carrying minerals were stopped..It is not the law that if documents seized in one case cannot be used in different case..".

"This act of burning the trucks was carried out by Maoists..local militia or Naxalites involved..Our jawans were killed..MAOISTS ARE ANTI-NATIONALS, they are happy if our jawans are killed..Gadling is one of the top comrades of this Maoist organisation..that is why he is involved in all this..", court was further told.

ASG Raju went on to tell court that Naxalites thrive in underdeveloped areas, and the entire area of Gadchiroli being poor, was seeing development recently which the Naxalites did not want.

In January 2023, Nagpur Division Bench of the Bombay High Court had denied bail to Gadling in the Surajgarh Mine Arson Case.

The case pertains to an incident wherein 39 vehicles transporting iron ore to Gadchiroli were allegedly set on fire by the Maoists. An FIR was registered by the police and the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Maharashtra Police Act, and Arms act were invoked. Surendra Gadling was arrested along with the other accused in the case. The case was then investigated by the National Investigating Agency.

Gadling had earlier also approached the Sessions Court seeking bail, however the same was rejected. High Court after considering the material on record held there were grounds to believe that Gadling was having direct membership of the banned organization i.e., Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Supreme Court is also seized of the bail plea filed by Surendra Gadling in the Bhima Koregoan Elghar Parishad Violence case of 2018. A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and K Vinod Chandran had recently deferred hearing the matter after Additional Solicitor General SV Raju sought time on behalf of NIA.

In the Bhima Koregaon case, Gadling is accused of providing aid to the Maoists and allegedly conspiring with various co-accused, including the ones absconding in the case. He was booked under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, and the IPC and the prosecution claimed Gadling provided secret information about government activities and maps of certain areas to underground Maoist rebels. Gadling and the other accused in the case were arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad and a chargesheet was filed against them. The case was then transferred to the National Investigation Agency. The Agency has sought an extension of time which was granted by the special court. Gadling has contended that the issue of jurisdiction of the additional session judge was raised during the first and the subsequent remand.

The Special NIA court rejected the default bail of Gadling on the grounds that the issue was already decided by the Bombay High Court and the applicant does not have any proprietary right to agitate the same ground before the special court.

Case Title: Surendra Gadling vs State of Maharashtra

Hearing Date: September 24, 2025

Bench: Justices Maheshwari and Bishnoi