Sudha Bharadwaj, the trade unionist and lawyer from Chhattisgarh incarcerated in the Bhima Koregaon/Elgaar Parishad case, has been released on bail on December 7. After spending just over three years in prison, she walked out of Mumbai’s Byculla Women’s Jail after the Bombay High Court granted her default bail on December 1. The Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court hearing her case set 16 conditions for her release which included a personal bond of Rs.50,000 and cash surety of Rs.50,000.
The list of conditions that Sudha Bharadwaj for her bail are:
1. She shall reside within the jurisdiction of the Mumbai court and shall not leave without the court’s permission.
2. She shall inform the court and the NIA immediately about her place of residence within Mumbai and her contact numbers. She would also have to give the contact numbers of her relatives residing with her.
3. She shall submit a list of at least three blood relatives with their detailed residential and work addresses, with documentary proof.
4. She must inform the NIA and the court if there is any change of her residential address while she is on bail.
5. She has been directed to submit copies of at least two identity proofs —passport, Aadhar card, PAN card, ration card, electricity bill, voter identity card.
6. After these documents are submitted, the NIA shall conduct physical or virtual verification of her residential address and place a report before the court.
7. She shall attend the proceedings of the trial and shall see that the trial is not protracted due to her absence.
8. She shall report to the nearest police station through WhatsApp video call fortnightly.
9. She shall not make any statement regarding the proceedings pending before the court before any form of media — print, electronic or social.
10. She shall not indulge in any activity similar to the activities on the basis of which the present FIR was registered against her for offences under the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
11. She shall not try to establish communication with co-accused or any other person involved directly or indirectly in similar activities or make any international call to any person indulging in similar activities.
12. She shall not undertake any action which is prejudicial to the proceedings pending before the court.
13. She shall not personally, or through anyone, make any attempt to influence prosecution witnesses or tamper with the evidence.
14. There shall not be any gathering of visitors, other than near relatives, where the accused shall reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
15. She shall surrender her passport and not misuse the liberty.
Of the 16 activists imprisoned in the Bhima Koregaon case, only Sudha Bharadwaj and writer/poet Varavara Rao have secured bail.
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