The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought an explanation from the Maharashtra government for delaying the trial of alleged Maoist activist and lawyer Surendra Pundalik Gadling, who has been in jail since 2017 in a case relating to the torching of 39 vehicles transporting iron ore from the Surajgarh mines in the state's Gadchiroli district.
Prima facie, the apex court felt that a person cannot be kept under prolonged incarceration. Besides the Gadchiroli incident, Gadling is also facing prosecution in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence.
“We want to know why the trial is not going on. If you keep a person for a long time, that is our concern. For how long can you keep a person inside? Our concern is the long incarceration and the delay in trial,” a bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Vijay Bishnoi asked additional solicitor-general S.V. Raju representing the state.
The bench made the observation while hearing Gadling's appeal against a Bombay High Court order dismissing his bail plea. Raju, however, told the bench that the state has several evidence to establish that Gadling was involved in Maoist activities. It is alleged that Maoists had set the vehicles on fire.
The bench adjourned the matter by four weeks and asked Raju to furnish a status report explaining the state of the trial and the time by which it would conclude.
