Surendra Gadling – free them all

Supreme Court to hear advocate and activist Surendra Gadling’s bail plea on October 14

01/09/2026 Asha

Supreme Court to hear bail plea of Bhima Koregaon accused Surendra Gadling on October 14

01/09/2026

The Hindu / by The Hindu Bureau

The present bail plea arises from the 2016 Surjagarh arson case, in which several vehicles transporting iron ore from Surjagarh mines in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district were allegedly set ablaze by persons associated with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist)
The Supreme Court said on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) that it would her on October 14 a bail plea filed by advocate and activist Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case.
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Supreme Court to hear Surendra Gadling’s bail plea on Oct 14

01/09/2026

The Print / by pti

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would hear on October 14 a plea filed by advocate Surendra Gadling seeking bail in the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case.
Gadling has challenged in the apex court a January 2023 order of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court which refused to grant him bail in the case.
The plea came up for hearing before a bench of justices Vikram Nath, Augustine George Masih and Sandeep Mehta.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Gadling, said the petitioner is also an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, and he is already granted bail in that case.
Read more

Also read:
▪ 3rd SC judge recuses himself from hearing lawyer Surendra Gadling’s bail plea (Hindustan Times / Jul 2026)
▪ Eight years in jail without trial: HC grants bail to lawyer Surendra Gadling in Elgar Parishad case (Hindustan Times / May 2026)
▪ 7 yrs in jail, charges framed against Surendra Gadling in Surajgarh arson case. What Bombay HC told SC (The Print / Apr 2026)
▪ Public Meeting at Press Club of India Demands Release of People’s Lawyer Surendra Gadling (The Mooknayak / March 2026)
▪ Surendra Gadling and the justice that must be seen to be denied (Frontline / Feb 2026)
▪ Explained: The 2016 Surjagarh arson case, the Elgaar link, and why the Supreme Court is intervening now (The Indian Express / Jan 2026)
▪ Surendra Gadling’s Computer Was Attacked, Incriminating Documents Planted: Arsenal Consulting (The Wire / July 2021)
▪ Encountering Resistance – State Policy for Development in Gadchiroli (PUDR / June 2018)
▪ DISINHERITING ADIVASIS – THE GADCHIROLI GAME PLAN (KAFILA / June 2018)

The Constitution’s Promise vs. State Repression / Civil Liberties Groups Seek Release of Political Prisoners

30/08/2026 Asha

Bail is the Rule, Jail is the Exception: The Promise of the Constitution and the Reality of State Repression

30/08/2026

Countercurrents / by Asish Gupta

Former Maoist leader Azad alias Dana Keshav Rao, had a total of 49 cases pending against him in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh after being arrested by the police in 2011. He spent more than 15 years and 2 months in prison as an undertrial prisoner. … Finally, in August 2026, he was acquitted in all 49 cases and released from prison. A lack of sufficient evidence was one of the key grounds for his acquittal.
…
Surendra Gadling’s situation underscores a broader dilemma. Even after securing bail in the Bhima-Koregaon case, he could not be released immediately because he faced a separate case related to the 2016 Surjagarh arson, in which his bail application was pending before the Supreme Court. Thus, while a person was granted bail in one case on the ground of prolonged undertrial detention, the doors of the prison remained closed due to another case.
This illustrates a structural loophole in the Indian bail system.
Read more

Who is Ajay Kumar? Why Has He Been Behind Bars for the Last Two Years?

30/08/2026

Campaign Against State Repression / by Campaign Against State Repression (CASR)

An activist, writer, lawyer, and intellectual, Ajay Kumar has dedicated nearly three decades of his life to the struggles of the toiling masses for liberation from oppression and exploitation.
… Ajay was actively involved in the Forum Against the War on People, which opposed attacks by state forces and the corporate-sponsored militia Salwa Judum on Adivasi communities in central India under Operation Green Hunt. He was also a founding member of the Vistapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan (VVJVA), a coalition of more than 50 organisations from across the country working against the forcible displacement of peasants, particularly Adivasis, for corporate land acquisition and extractive projects.
VVJVA has campaigned against the forced displacement of peasant and Adivasi communities for the construction of big dams, industrial projects, mines, Special Economic Zones, highways, National Parks, and Smart City projects, among others.
… As a member of the Indian Association of Peoples Lawyers (IAPL), he has worked for the release of political prisoners, including those incarcerated in the Bhima Koregaon case.
Read full statement

Civil Liberties Groups Seek Release of Political Prisoners

29/08/2026

Deccan Chronicle / by DC Correspondent

The Civil Liberties Committee (CLC) along with CPI and other activists demanded the release of political prisoners detained under UAPA cases.
“It is necessary that we strongly demand that the Telangana government release political prisoners. Governments of other states, including Andhra Pradesh, as well as the Centre, must release political prisoners,” Supreme Court advocate D. Suresh, CLC general secretary, said at a protest at Dharna Chowk on Saturday.
… Suresh said around 1,200 people in Chhattisgarh, 1,000 in Jharkhand and many others in Odisha, UP, Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi were jailed on allegations of being Maoists. He cited the case of lawyer Surendra Gadling who he said was “falsely implicated in the Bhima Koregaon case and has been unjustly languishing in jail for eight years without bail.”
Read more

Also read:
▪ Will Abhirup Paul meet the fate of Surendra Gadling, Umar Khalid, and Sharjeel Imam? (Frontline / Jul 2026)
▪ Eight years in jail without trial: HC grants bail to lawyer Surendra Gadling in Elgar Parishad case (Hindustan Times / May 2026)
▪ 7 yrs in jail, charges framed against Surendra Gadling in Surajgarh arson case. What Bombay HC told SC (The Print / Apr 2026)
▪ Voices From Prison | A Legacy Of Detention: Weaponisation Of PDA, TADA, NSA And UAPA Laws Since Independence (Outlook / Jan 2026)
▪ Incarceration As Politics: A Timeline Of Political Prisoners In Independent India (Outlook / Jan 2026)
▪ Justice On Hold: How India’s Trial Courts Are Creating a New Class of Political Prisoners—Those Accused Of ‘Terrorism’ (article 14 / Dec 2025)
▪ The Grammar of the Power to Arrest and Search under UAPA (Constitutional Law and Philosophy | by Hany Babu and Surendra Gadling | Jul 2025)
▪ Who Is a ‘Political Prisoner’? Rona Wilson Says Caste and Religion Are Key to the Answer (The Wire / Feb 2025)
▪ Ajay Kumar targeted for role as anti-displacement activist, opponent of ‘corporate loot’ (Counterview / Sep 2024)
▪ UAPA – CRIMINALISING DISSENT AND STATE TERROR – Study of UAPA Abuse in India, 2009-2022 (PUCL / Sep 2022). Download report
▪ Punished without trial: How India’s political prisoners are being denied basic rights in jail (Scroll.in / Aug 2022)

Will Abhirup Paul meet the fate of Surendra Gadling, Umar Khalid, and Sharjeel Imam?

17/08/2026 Asha

Frontline / by Ajaz Ashraf

The TISS student’s arrest after commemorating the death anniversary of G.N. Saibaba raises fears that the machinery used to criminalise dissent, now armed with the label of “dimagi naxal”, could be ensnaring a new generation of students.
Abhirup Paul is a name that has little recall value. Note down his name, because he’s likely to be the next Surendra Gadling or the next Umar Khalid or the next Sharjeel Imam—the three men who have been languishing for years in prison and were unable to celebrate yet another Independence Day outside its forbidding walls. Like them, Paul also couldn’t celebrate, a protent that the fate of the three could also become his.
Read more

Also read:
▪ Voices From Prison | A Legacy Of Detention: Weaponisation Of PDA, TADA, NSA And UAPA Laws Since Independence (Outlook / Jan 2026)
▪ Incarceration As Politics: A Timeline Of Political Prisoners In Independent India (Outlook / Jan 2026)
▪ Justice On Hold: How India’s Trial Courts Are Creating a New Class of Political Prisoners—Those Accused Of ‘Terrorism’ (article 14 / Dec 2025)
▪ Bhima Koregaon Challenging Caste: Brahminism’s Wrath Against Dreamers Of Equality by Ajaz Ashraf (Article 14 / Jul 2024)
▪ UAPA – CRIMINALISING DISSENT AND STATE TERROR – Study of UAPA Abuse in India, 2009-2022 (PUCL / Sep 2022). Download report
▪ Punished without trial: How India’s political prisoners are being denied basic rights in jail (Scroll.in / Aug 2022)

After 3 Supreme Court Judges Recuse, Surendra Gadling Requests CJI Kant To List Bail Plea

27/07/2026 Asha

After 3 Supreme Court Judges Recuse, Surendra Gadling Requests CJI Kant To List Bail Plea In Surajgarh Arson Case

27/07/2026

Law Beat / by Aishwarya Iyer

Last week, the Supreme Court said the matter would be listed before a different combination after noting that Justice Shree Chandrashekhar was unable to hear the case.
The Supreme Court today heard a mentioning made on behalf of Surendra Gadling concerning listing of his bail plea in connection with the 2016 Surajgarh arson case.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal told a CJI Surya Kant led bench, “Another judge has recused..it may be listed..”.
Read more

Surendra Gadling Bail Plea: Kapil Sibal Asks Supreme Court To List Matter Before Another Bench After Third Judge’s Recusal

27/07/2026

Live Law / by Gursimran Kaur Bakshi

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal on Monday requested the Supreme Court to assign lawyer-activist Surendra Gadling’s bail plea in the 2016 Gadchiroli arson case to a different bench, after Justice Shree Chandrashekhar recently recused from hearing the matter.
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3rd SC judge recuses himself from hearing lawyer Surendra Gadling’s bail plea

21/07/2026

Hindustan Times / by Abraham Thomas

Supreme Court judge Shree Chandrashekhar on Tuesday recused himself from hearing lawyer Surendra Gadling’s bail plea in a 2016 arson case, becoming the third judge to do so in the case over the past year.
Justice PK Mishra announced the recusal when the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sought an adjournment before the matter came up for hearing before a bench comprising him and Justice Chandrashekhar. Justice Mishra said the matter had to be adjourned anyway, as Justice Chandrashekhar conveyed his inability to hear it. “This will have to go before another bench as my brother [Justice Chandrashekhar] has some difficulty.”
Read more

Third Supreme Court Judge Recuses From Hearing Surendra Gadling’s Bail Plea In 2016 Gadchiroli Arson Case

21/07/2026

Live Law / by Gursimran Kaur Bakshi

The Supreme Court today (July 21) ordered that the bail plea of lawyer-activist Surendra Gadling in the 2016 Gadchiroli arson case should be heard by a bench not comprising Justice Shree Chandrashekhar.
The matter was listed before a bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Shree Chandrashekhar. At the outset, an advocate on behalf of Additional Solicitor General SV Raju (for the National Investigation Agency) sought a passover, while Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for the petitioner. However, Justice Mishra said the matter will go before another coordinate bench since Justice Chandrashekhar has some difficulty.
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Justice Shree Chandrashekhar recuses from hearing bail plea of Bhima Koregaon accused Surendra Gadling

21/07/2026

The Hindu / by The Hindu Bureau

This marks the third recusal by a Supreme Court judge from hearing activist Mr. Gadling’s bail plea without assigning any reason; the bail plea arises from the 2016 Surjagarh arson case; Mr. Gadling has been in Taloja Central Prison since June 2018 following his arrest in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case
Supreme Court judge Justice Shree Chandrashekhar on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) recused himself from hearing a bail petition filed by advocate and activist Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case. It is the third such recusal by a Supreme Court judge in the past year, with no reasons assigned on any of the occasions.
Read more

Also read:
▪ Eight years in jail without trial: HC grants bail to lawyer Surendra Gadling in Elgar Parishad case (Hindustan Times / May 2026)
▪ 7 yrs in jail, charges framed against Surendra Gadling in Surajgarh arson case. What Bombay HC told SC (The Print / Apr 2026)
▪ Justice Chandurkar Recuses From Hearing Surendra Gadling’s Bail Plea In Gadchiroli Arson Case (Live Law / Apr 2026)
▪ Surendra Gadling and the justice that must be seen to be denied (Frontline / Feb 2026)
▪ Explained: The 2016 Surjagarh arson case, the Elgaar link, and why the Supreme Court is intervening now (The Indian Express / Jan 2026)
▪ How Long is Too Long? – On the Maximum Period that an Undertrial Prisoner can be Detained (Constitutional Law and Philosophy | by Hany Babu and Surendra Gadling | Oct 2024)
▪ When Push Comes to Shove: Tracking Judicial Recusals and Transfers (The Wire / Apr 2023)
▪ Surendra Gadling’s Computer Was Attacked, Incriminating Documents Planted: Arsenal Consulting (The Wire / July 2021)
▪ Encountering Resistance – State Policy for Development in Gadchiroli (PUDR / June 2018)

SC to hear Surendra Gadling bail plea in Elgar Parishad case next week after delays

17/07/2026 Asha

SC to hear Surendra Gadling’s bail plea next week in Elgar Parishad case

17/07/2026

National Herald / by NH Digital

Advocate has spent over seven years in jail; court agrees to urgent hearing after counsel cites repeated delays
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling, an accused in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, after his counsel highlighted his prolonged incarceration and repeated delays in the proceedings.
Read more

SC to hear Surendra Gadling bail plea in Elgar Parishad case next week after delays

17/07/2026

India Today / by India Today News Desk

The Supreme Court will hear advocate Surendra Gadling’s bail plea next week in the Elgar Parishad case. The listing revives a long-pending matter after repeated adjournments and years of incarceration.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling, an accused in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana gave the assurance after senior advocate Kapil Sibal sought an urgent listing, saying Gadling had been in jail for seven-and-a-half years.
Read more

Also read:
▪ Eight years in jail without trial: HC grants bail to lawyer Surendra Gadling in Elgar Parishad case (Hindustan Times / May 2026)
▪ 7 yrs in jail, charges framed against Surendra Gadling in Surajgarh arson case. What Bombay HC told SC (The Print / Apr 2026)
▪ Justice Chandurkar Recuses From Hearing Surendra Gadling’s Bail Plea In Gadchiroli Arson Case (Live Law / Apr 2026)
▪ Public Meeting at Press Club of India Demands Release of People’s Lawyer Surendra Gadling (The Mooknayak / March 2026)
▪ Explained: The 2016 Surjagarh arson case, the Elgaar link, and why the Supreme Court is intervening now (The Indian Express / Jan 2026)
▪ Surendra Gadling and the justice that must be seen to be denied (Frontline / Feb 2026)
▪ How Long is Too Long? – On the Maximum Period that an Undertrial Prisoner can be Detained (Constitutional Law and Philosophy | by Hany Babu and Surendra Gadling | Oct 2024)
▪ In What Language, Under Total Surveillance, Does Truth Speak to a Tormented People? (The Wire | by Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling and Mahesh Raut | June 2024)
▪ Encountering Resistance – State Policy for Development in Gadchiroli (PUDR / June 2018)
▪ IAPL press note about arrest of Advocate Gadling & other people’s activists (Sanhati / June 2018)

To mark Stan Swamy’s death anniversary, Surendra Gadling and Dinkar Gota held a one-day hunger strike

05/07/2026 Asha

By Raghavendra Nyshadham via fb (Jul 4):

Surendra Gadling and Dinkar Gota, two political prisoners incarcerated at Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai, are observing a one-day hunger strike on July 5, 2026, the fifth death anniversary of the Jesuit priest and human rights activist Father Stan Swamy. The editorial introduction below is followed by the full text of the press release by Gadling and Gota on the hunger strike.

EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION
Surendra Gadling is a Nagpur-based human rights lawyer and Dalit rights activist who has spent decades defending Adivasis, Dalits, workers, and political prisoners, often on a pro bono basis. He is widely known for challenging allegations of fake encounters, custodial abuse, and violations of civil liberties. He has been imprisoned since June, 2018 in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, a prosecution that has become one of India’s most prominent civil liberties cases. Sixteen lawyers, academics, writers, artists, trade unionists, and human rights defenders were arrested in the case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Most have since been granted bail after years of incarceration, while Father Stan Swamy died in judicial custody in 2021. Gadling remains incarcerated in Taloja Central Prison awaiting trial.
Dinkar Gota is an Adivasi activist from Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, who was arrested in March, 2020 under the UAPA in connection with the Gadchiroli blast case of 2019. He has consistently maintained his innocence and is regarded by supporters as one of several Adivasi activists who have been jailed baselessly under anti-terror laws for fighting for the rights of their peoples. He is currently lodged in Taloja Central Prison.
Father Stan Swamy was a Jesuit priest and human rights activist who had dedicated his life to defending the rights of Adivasis, other marginalised communities, and political prisoners. He was arrested in October, 2020 in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, and died at the age of 84 on July 5, 2021 while in judicial custody.

FULL TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE
– Press Release for circulation –
Date: 5 July 2026

Two political prisoners, Advocate Surendra Gadling, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon–Elgar Parishad case, and Dinkar Gota, an accused in the alleged Gadchiroli attack case, lodged in Taloja Central Prison, are observing a one-day hunger strike on 5 July 2026, on the occasion of the fifth death anniversary of Father Stan Swamy.

Father Stan Swamy was a victim of institutional murder because he refused to surrender before those in power and chose to stand firmly for the rights of Adivasis, Dalits, and the marginalized and oppressed masses, until his last breath. He fearlessly raised his voice against injustice, repression, and attacks on democratic rights. This one-day hunger strike is to protest against the institutional repression that led to his death.

Father Stan Swamy’s life and struggle continues to inspire every person fighting for justice, human dignity, and democratic values. This hunger strike is a renewed pledge to ensure that his sacrifice will not go in vain, and the hunger strikers humbly appeal to democrats, human rights defenders, and all justice-seeking citizens to express solidarity in this regard.

Respectfully,
Surendra Gadling
Dinkar Gota
Taloja Central Prison
Taloja, Navi Mumbai

Also read:
▪ Explained: The 2016 Surjagarh arson case, the Elgaar link, and why the Supreme Court is intervening now (The Indian Express / Jan 2026)
▪ I saw firsthand how callous prison officials and their negligence led to Stan Swamy’s death (Scroll.in | by Arun Ferreira | Jul 2025)
▪ Daring, Fearless and Kind, Father Stan Swamy Remains a Beacon of Resistance (The Wire | by Hany Babu, Jyoti Jagtap, Mahesh Raut, Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor, Sagar Gorkhe, Surendra Gadling | Jul 2025)
▪ ‘Bhima Koregaon 16’ go on hunger strike to mark Stan Swamy’s death anniversary (Hindustan Times / Jul 2024)
▪ Stan Swamy’s second death anniversary: Stand Up for What Is Right, demand Co-Accused (The Wire / July 5, 2023)
▪ Encountering Resistance – State Policy for Development in Gadchiroli (PUDR / June 2018)
▪ DISINHERITING ADIVASIS – THE GADCHIROLI GAME PLAN (KAFILA / June 2018)

Today marks eight years of wrongful incarceration for people’s lawyer Surendra Gadling

06/06/2026 Asha

By Sushmita / @Sushmitav1 (June 6):
Today, Adv. Surendra Gadling completes eight years of wrongful incarceration without the trial having commenced, and having denied bail on multiple occasions.
Adv. Gadling always fought for the rights of those falsely charged with draconian laws and fought against atrocities
committed on Dalit, Bahujans and Adivasis. He obtained acquittal of hundreds of Dalit, Adivasis trapped in false cases. He also fought against cases of caste atrocities. It’s high time this human rights defender is freed and urgently given bail.

Also read:
▪ Eight years in jail without trial: HC grants bail to lawyer Surendra Gadling in Elgar Parishad case (Hindustan Times / May 2026)
▪ 7 yrs in jail, charges framed against Surendra Gadling in Surajgarh arson case. What Bombay HC told SC (The Print / Apr 2026)
▪ Justice Chandurkar Recuses From Hearing Surendra Gadling’s Bail Plea In Gadchiroli Arson Case (Live Law / Apr 2026)
▪ Public Meeting at Press Club of India Demands Release of People’s Lawyer Surendra Gadling (The Mooknayak / March 2026)
▪ Explained: The 2016 Surjagarh arson case, the Elgaar link, and why the Supreme Court is intervening now (The Indian Express / Jan 2026)
▪ Surendra Gadling and the justice that must be seen to be denied (Frontline / Feb 2026)
▪ How Long is Too Long? – On the Maximum Period that an Undertrial Prisoner can be Detained (Constitutional Law and Philosophy | by Hany Babu and Surendra Gadling | Oct 2024)
▪ In What Language, Under Total Surveillance, Does Truth Speak to a Tormented People? (The Wire | by Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling and Mahesh Raut | June 2024)
▪ Encountering Resistance – State Policy for Development in Gadchiroli (PUDR / June 2018)
▪ IAPL press note about arrest of Advocate Gadling & other people’s activists (Sanhati / June 2018)

The ‘burden’ of proof: As chargesheets surge in volume and data, accused seek access to computers

22/05/2026 Asha

The Indian Express / by Sadaf Modak

From accused in the now-concluded Malegaon 2008 blast case to those booked in the Elgaar Parishad case of 2017-18, several accused have been given permission to use computers, with curbs.
In 2006, some of the accused in the Mumbai serial train blasts case had to approach the court for permission to keep their over 10,000-page chargesheet in their barracks; the overcrowded Arthur Road Jail barrack barely had space for its prisoners.
Twenty years later, the jail still remains crowded, chargesheets have only got longer, and the struggle for space has gone digital. Undertrials across jails are seeking access to computers or laptops to read the electronic evidence against them. From accused in the now-concluded Malegaon 2008 blast case to those booked in the Elgaar Parishad case of 2017-18, several accused have been given permission to use computers, with curbs.
Read more

Also read:
▪ Provide access to computer, court tells jail authorities on plea made by Surendra Gadling and Arun Ferreira (The Indian Express / Jan 2023)
▪ Incriminating evidence planted in computers: The Trojan solved the Bhima Koregaon case! (Anchored Narratives / Jan 2023)
▪ Since Evidence Tampering Not Ruled Out, Accused Want Chargesheets Quashed (The Wire / Oct 2022)
▪ NIA’s draft chargesheet against Elgar Parishad accused smells foul (People’s Review / Aug 2021)
▪ Surendra Gadling’s Computer Was Attacked, Incriminating Documents Planted: Arsenal Consulting (The Wire / July 2021)
▪ Chargesheet in Elgar Parishad case: CPI Maoist documents, letters on ‘anti-fascist front’ cited by NIA (The Indian Express / Oct 2020)
▪ Supplementary chargesheet brings little new information to the case (Scroll.in / Feb 2019)

Bombay High Court Grants Bail To Surendra Gadling After Almost Eight Years In Jail

04/05/2026 Asha

By Maktoob / @MaktoobMedia (May 5):
Despite bail, Gadling will remain in custody due to his continued detention in the Surajgarh arson case under UAPA provisions, Bar and Bench reported.

Eight years in jail without trial: HC grants bail to lawyer Surendra Gadling in Elgar Parishad case

05/05/2026

Hindustan Times / by Karuna Nidhi

The Bombay High Court on Monday granted bail to Surendra Gadling, a lawyer known for defending human rights activists, Dalits and Adivasis, in the 2018 Elgar Parishad–Bhima Koregaon case, citing his prolonged incarceration of over eight years and the principle of parity with co-accused.
However, Gadling, lodged at Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai, is unlikely to be released immediately, as he remains in custody in connection with another case linked to a suspected Maoist attack.
Read more

After Almost Eight Years of Pre-trial Jail, Surendra Gadling Given Bail in Elgar Parishad Case

04/05/2026

The Wire / by The Wire Staff

Gadling, however, will remain in custody as he faces a separate arson case in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district.
On June 6 this year, Surendra Gadling, a prominent human rights lawyer from Nagpur, would have completed eight years in prison in the controversial Elgar Parishad case, without a trial and despite multiple rounds of bail applications. A division bench of the Bombay high court, comprising Justices Ajay Gadkari and Kamal Khata, finally granted him bail on Monday (May 4) on grounds of prolonged incarceration.
Read more

Bombay High Court Grants Bail To Surendra Gadling After 8 Years In Jail

04/05/2026

Live Law / by Narsi Benwal

The Bombay High Court on Monday granted bail to lawyer-activist Surendra Gadling, who is in prison from June 6, 2018 in Bhima-Koregaon – Elgar Parishad case, considering his long incarceration. He is the last among the 16 persons named in the case to be in prison.
A division bench of Justice Ajay Gadkari and Justice Kamal Khata dictated order in the open court granting bail to Gadling on usual conditions, as imposed by the special court on other co-accused like Hany Babu.
Read more

Bhima Koregaon trial yet to start: Bombay HC grants bail to Surendra Gadling after 8 years in jail

04/05/2026

Bar & Bench / by Bar & Bench

Despite bail in the Bhima Koregaon case, Surendra Gadling will remain in custody due to his continued detention in the Surajgarh arson case under UAPA provisions.
The Bombay High Court on Monday granted bail to advocate Surendra Gadling, accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case of 2018 [Surendra Gadling v. State of Maharashtra & Anr.].
A division bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal Khata noted that Gadling has spent over 8 years in custody and the trial in the matter is yet to commence.
Prolonged incarceration as an undertrial prisoner is a ground for relief, the Court said.
A detailed order is awaited.
Read more

Bhima Koregaon case: Lawyer Surendra Gadling granted bail

04/05/2026

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

However, he will remain in jail as his bail application in a 2016 arson case is pending before the Supreme Court.
The Bombay High Court on Monday granted bail to lawyer Surendra Gadling in the Bhima Koregaon case, saying that prolonged incarceration as an undertrial prisoner is a ground for relief, Bar and Bench reported.
Gadling had spent more than eight years in custody, said a bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal Khata, adding that the trial in the matter was yet to begin.
Read more

Bombay High Court grants bail to activist Surendra Gadling, the only Elgaar Parishad accused remaining in jail

04/05/2026

The Indian Express / by Omkar Gokhale

However, Surendra Gadling will remain in custody as he has yet to get bail in the 2016 Surajgarh arson case.
The Bombay High Court on Monday granted bail to the Elgaar Parishad case accused Surendra Gadling, the only accused remaining in jail in the case. However, he is likely to remain in custody at Taloja Central prison, as he has not got bail in the 2016 Surajgarh arson case and his plea is pending in the Supreme Court.
Read more

Also read:
▪ 7 yrs in jail, charges framed against Surendra Gadling in Surajgarh arson case. What Bombay HC told SC (The Print / Apr 2026)
▪ Justice Chandurkar Recuses From Hearing Surendra Gadling’s Bail Plea In Gadchiroli Arson Case (Live Law / Apr 2026)
▪ Explained: The 2016 Surjagarh arson case, the Elgaar link, and why the Supreme Court is intervening now (The Indian Express / Jan 2026)
▪ Encountering Resistance – State Policy for Development in Gadchiroli (PUDR / June 2018)

OIAD: Surendra Gadling kept in prolonged detention for 8 years

22/04/2026 Asha

Protect-lawyers.org / by Observatoire International des Avocats en Danger (OIAD)

Mr Surendra Gadling is a lawyer specialising in the defence of human rights and marginalised communities, particularly Dalits and indigenous peoples in India. He has been held in detention for nearly eight years in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case. He is now the only defendant still in prison – the other fifteen people prosecuted in this case have been released on bail.
Gadling was arrested in 2018 and is one of a group of human rights defenders prosecuted for their alleged involvement in violence that occurred in Bhima Koregaon. Several organisations believe that these prosecutions are in fact targeting committed activists and denounce the charges as baseless.
Mr Gadling is also being prosecuted in another case linked to a fire at a mining site in Surajgarh. According to several lawyers, inconsistencies have been identified in the complaint (including the absence of evidence linking him directly to the incident).
Read full statement

Also read:
▪ 7 yrs in jail, charges framed against Surendra Gadling in Surajgarh arson case. What Bombay HC told SC (The Print / Apr 2026)
▪ IAPL demands release of advocate Surendra Gadling from Maharashtra jail (The Sisat Daily / March 2026)
▪ Public Meeting at Press Club of India Demands Release of People’s Lawyer Surendra Gadling (The Mooknayak / March 2026)
▪ IAPL press note about arrest of Advocate Gadling & other people’s activists (Sanhati / June 2018)
▪ Encountering Resistance – State Policy for Development in Gadchiroli (PUDR / June 2018)