Elgar Parishad Case: HC bench recuses from hearing DU professor Hany Babu's bail plea

The Bombay High Court bench recused itself from hearing the appeal filed by Hany Babu challenging the rejection of his bail plea by a special NIA court.

A Bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday recused itself from hearing the bail plea of Delhi University's associate professor Hany Babu, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.

Mr. Babu filed his appeal in the High Court last month, challenging the rejection of his bail plea by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court.

His plea, filed through counsels Yug Mohit Chaudhry and Payoshi Roy, was mentioned before a vacation bench of the high court last month.

At that time, the vacation bench directed that the plea be heard by a regular bench of the high court.

On Wednesday, when the plea came up before a bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and VG Bisht, the bench recused itself from the hearing it without citing any reason.

Justice Mohite-Dere also recused herself from hearing a plea filed by Elgar Parishad case co-accused Gautam Navlakha, who has sought, among other things, access to telephone calls at the Taloja prison, where he is currently lodged as an undertrial.

Mr. Navlakha, 71, has been lodged inside the high security 'anda cell' of the Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai since October last year.