The Supreme Court on Friday, April 5, granted bail to former Nagpur University Professor Shoma Sen, who was accused of the Bhima Koregaon case and was booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967 (UAPA) for alleged Maoist links.
The top court released Sen on bail on certain conditions, including - she shall not leave Maharashtra, she shall surrender her passport, she shall inform NIA about her residence, she shall inform NIA officer about her mobile number and maintain that number remains active and charged.
Her mobile phone's GPS is to remain active, and her phone is to be paired with the phone of the NIA officer so that location can be ascertained. The Supreme Court said if the condition is breached, the prosecution can seek cancellation of bail.
Sen, an English literature professor, has been behind bars since 2018. She had applied for bail before the Pune Sessions Court in December 2018 prior to the filing of the chargesheet and another application after the chargesheet, however, both applications were rejected by the Sessions Court in November 2019.
Later, Sen, former departmental head at the Nagpur University, approached the Bombay High Court seeking bail. However, the High Court declined to grant her bail.
Sen and others were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, in connection with the 2018 caste-based violence that broke out at Bhima Koregaon in Pune and for having alleged links with the proscribed outfit, Communist Party of India (Maoists).