Supreme Court adjourns bail plea of Surendra Gadling in 2016 Surjagarh mine arson case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned till the second week of January the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case.

A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Aravind Kumar deferred the matter after the counsel appearing for Gadling sought time to go through the reply filed by Maharashtra in the matter.

The top court on October 10, 2023, issued notice to the state government and sought its response on the petition within four weeks.

On January 31, 2023 the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court refused to grant bail to Gadling and said the accusations against him were prima facie true.

On December 25, 2016, Maoist rebels allegedly set ablaze 76 vehicles being used for transporting iron ore from Surajgarh mines in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli.

Gadling is accused of providing aid to Maoists, who were working at the ground level. He was also alleged to have entered into a conspiracy with various co-accused, including those absconding in the case.

He was booked under the various provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, and the IPC and the prosecution claims Gadling provided secret information about government activities and maps of certain areas to underground Maoist rebels.

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

Gadling also faces the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case pertaining to the alleged provocative speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017 which the police claims to have triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial in Pune district.