Bombay HC allows Anand Teltumbde to meet his mother for two days

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday allowed Prof. Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case to meet his mother after the death of his brother in an encounter.

A division bench of Justices S.B. Shukre and G.A. Sanap allowed Prof. Teltumbde to meet his mother at Chandrapur for two days between March 8 and 10 with police escort.

Milind Teltumbde was among the 26 members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) who were killed in an encounter in Gadchiroli district on November 13.

The National Investigation Agency's (NIA) counsel Sandesh Patil had opposed the plea citing, "The seriousness is that the person who has died was a wanted accused who was killed in an ambush."

The court however said, "A death is a death. He may be an accused, he (Milind) may have been involved in activities, but then ultimately he was the present applicant’s (Anand) brother. There has been a loss of human life."

The court also sought assistance from Attorney General K.K. Venugopal in a plea by Prof. Teltumbde challenging provisions of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

He had moved high court after the special NIA court rejected his bail plea on December 1. Prof Teltumbde had filed for bail before the special court on November 23 for 15 days citing that he is needed and at the moment of bereavement in the family. “Being the eldest in the family, his presence would be of great support not only to his 90-year-old mother but also his younger siblings,” the plea mentioned.