The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would hear on June 21, a plea by activist Mahesh Raut – an accused in the Bhima-Koregaon case – seeking interim bail to attend rituals relating to the death of his grandmother.

A vacation bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Augustine George Masih asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to seek instruction on Raut’s plea for interim bail.

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Asking the NIA to take instruction, the bench asked Raut’s advocate, “Funeral was on May 26 so what ceremonies are left? You have not given any details as to when they would be.”

Appearing for Raut, senior advocate Mihir Desai, told the bench that this is an interim bail plea to go to Gadchiroli to attend the ceremonies after the death of his grandmother.

In September 2023, the top court had extended the stay granted by the Bombay High Court on the implementation of its verdict granting bail to Raut.

The stay was granted by the top court after NIA challenged the September 21, 2023, order of the Bombay High Court granting bail to Raut, who was arrested in June 2018 and is presently lodged in judicial custody at the Taloja prison.

The prosecution in its case has alleged that the provocative and inflammatory speeches were made at the event that was backed by banned terror outfit CPI (M), which later led to violence at Koregaon Bhima village near Pune in 2018.