Court Denies Scholar's Travel Request for Literature Event
A special court in Mumbai has rejected scholar Anand Teltumbde's application to travel to Kochi for a literature festival, describing the academic purpose as 'sort of a luxury' given his bail conditions in the Elgaar Parishad case. The order was passed by special judge Chakor S Baviskar on Wednesday, emphasizing that the Bombay High Court had imposed strict travel restrictions with specific intention when granting bail to Teltumbde in November 2022.
Bail Conditions and Court's Reasoning
The court highlighted that the Bombay High Court's bail order explicitly prohibited Teltumbde from leaving the jurisdiction of Maharashtra without prior permission from the trial court. 'He shall not leave the jurisdiction of the State of Maharashtra and if he desires to travel within India, he shall seek prior leave and permission of the Trial Court,' the original bail condition stated.
Judge Baviskar noted in his order that while Teltumbde is a respected scholar and academician, the grounds presented for travel did not constitute an emergency or extreme circumstances that would make his travel inevitable. The court specifically mentioned that attending a literature event, while academic in nature, represented a luxury rather than a necessity under the current legal framework.
Background of the Case and Previous Travel Permissions
Anand Teltumbde, arrested in 2020 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), was granted bail in November 2022 after spending two years in custody. The trial against him and 14 other accused in the Elgaar Parishad case, some of whom were arrested as early as 2018, has yet to commence.
The recent application sought permission for Teltumbde to travel to Kochi, Kerala from November 28 to November 30 to participate in an arts and literature festival organized by a major Kerala-based publication. His lawyer, R Satyanarayan, argued that Teltumbde had been invited as a speaker at the event.
However, Special Public Prosecutor Prakash Shetty opposed the plea, noting that it was filed at the 'eleventh hour' and that Teltumbde appeared to be in the 'habit' of seeking permission to travel outside Mumbai. Shetty suggested that if the court were to grant permission, it could impose conditions such as requiring daily attendance at a local police station in Kochi.
The court acknowledged that it had previously permitted Teltumbde to travel to Bengaluru on two occasions in January and February 2024 - first to receive an award from the Karnataka government and later to attend a conference. However, the judge noted that Teltumbde had withdrawn a similar plea last month after being reminded of the high court's strict conditions.
The court also mentioned that other accused in the Elgaar Parishad case have been granted travel permissions, but emphasized that each application must be considered on its own merits and circumstances.
