Bombay HC bail for Hany Babu signals a critical reassessment of the Bhima Koregaon Case

09/12/2025

CJP / by CJP Team

After five years under UAPA, the High Court’s ruling marks a turning point in a case marred by shaky forensics, delays, and constitutional concerns
Coming after years of custodial denial, contested digital evidence and prolonged trial delays, the order signals a renewed judicial pushback against punitive pre-trial detention. In a significant development in the long-running Bhima Koregaon prosecutions, the Bombay High Court has granted bail to former Delhi University professor Hany Babu, nearly five years after his arrest under the UAPA. While the detailed judgment is awaited, the court’s decision marks an important moment in a case where bail has historically been the exception rather than the norm. Babu’s incarceration—tied to the Pune Police and NIA’s theory of a wider “urban Maoist” conspiracy—has drawn sustained rights-based scrutiny due to extensive delays, grave medical concerns, and international forensic analyses indicating that incriminating files on co-accused devices may have been planted. The order situates itself within evolving judicial recognition that excessively long UAPA detention raises constitutional concerns of liberty, due process and investigative overreach.
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After more than five years in prison, Prof. Hany Babu granted regular bail in Bhima Koregaon case

05/12/2025

The Leaflet / by The Leaflet

With Prof. Babu being granted bail, twelve persons arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case are now out on bail.
On Thursday, the Bombay High Court granted regular bail to former Delhi University professor Hany Babu in connection with the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case.
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As many as twelve accused are out on bail:
– On February 22, 2021, the Bombay High Court granted P. Varavara Rao medical bail. Later, the Supreme Court granted  permanent medical bail to him.
– On December 1, 2021, the Bombay High Court granted Sudha Bharadwaj default bail. Later, the Supreme Court confirmed her release on bail.
– On November 18, 2022, the Bombay High Court granted Anand Teltumbde bail on merits. Later, the Supreme Court dismissed NIA’s plea against his bail.
– On July 28, 2023, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira were granted regular bail by the Supreme Court on July 28, 2023 after finding no prima facie case against them.
– On April 5, 2024, Shoma Sen was granted regular bail by the Supreme Court finding no prima facie case against her.
– On May 14, 2024, the Supreme Court lifted the stay on the bail earlier granted to Gautam Navlakha.
– In January 2025, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhawale.
– Recently, co-accused Jyoti Jagtap was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court, while Mahesh Raut was granted interim bail on medical grounds. Raut already has an order in his favour on merits, but the Supreme Court continued the stay on his regular bail for two years.
– Now, the Bombay High Court granted Hany Babu bail.
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And then there were 3: One more granted bail, charges not framed yet, Elgaar Parishad case creaks

04/12/2025

The Indian Express / by Sadaf Modak and Omkar Gokhale

In several cases, such as in Hany Babu’s Thursday, courts have cited long incarceration to grant bail. They have also commented on poor evidence to substantiate terror charges
With former Delhi University professor Hany Babu granted bail by the Bombay High Court Thursday, only three of the 16 arrested by the Pune police and NIA in the Elgaar Parishad case remain behind bars.
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