Elgar Parishad Case: SC Justice S Chandrashekhar Recuses From Hearing Gadling's Bail Plea

New Delhi : Supreme Court Justice Shree Chandrashekhar on Tuesday recused himself from hearing the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling, accused in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. Gadling's petition was listed before a bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Chandrashekhar.

As the matter came up for hearing, Justice Mishra said," It will go before some other bench, my brother has some difficulty."

Justice Chandrashekhar is the third judge who has recused himself from hearing the matter.

Earlier, Justices M M Sundresh and A S Chandurkar had recused themselves from the matter.

Last week, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Gadling, had mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant seeking urgent listing of the plea.

Sibal had said that Gadling has been jailed for seven and a half years and sought an urgent hearing.

He told the court that a notice regarding his bail plea was first issued in 2023, but the matter has witnessed recusals and asked the bench to list the matter urgently.

On August 8, 2025, senior advocate Anand Grover, appearing for Gadling, had urged the then CJI B R Gavai for an early hearing, citing his client's long incarceration.

"The bail plea has been adjourned 11 times in the Supreme Court," Grover had added.

On March 27 last year, the top court had deferred the bail hearing of Gadling and activist Jyoti Jagtap in the case.

It also deferred the petition filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) challenging the bail granted to activist Mahesh Raut. Raut was granted bail by the Bombay High Court, but the order was stayed after the NIA sought to challenge it before the apex court.

Gadling is accused of providing aid to Maoists and conspiring with various co-accused, including the ones absconding in the case.

He was booked under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Indian Penal Code, with the prosecution claiming that Gadling provided secret information about government activities and maps of certain areas to underground Maoist rebels.

He allegedly asked Maoists to oppose the operation of Surjagarh mines, and instigated several locals to join the movement.

Gadling is also involved in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case relating to the alleged provocative speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune on December 31, 2017. Police claimed the speeches triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune district.

The high court had said that activist Jagtap was an active member of the Kabir Kala Manch (KKM) group, which gave not only aggressive, but highly provocative slogans during its stage play at the Elgar Parishad conclave.

According to the NIA, the KKM is a front organisation of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist).

The Bombay High Court had dismissed the appeal filed by Jagtap challenging a February 2022 order of a special court refusing her bail.

The 2017 Elgar Parishad conclave was held at Shaniwarwada, an 18th-century palace-fort in the heart of Pune city.