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Hany Babu was arrested in July 2020 under UAPA for alleged Maoist links and faced repeated bail rejections.
The High Court noted excessive delays in trial and upheld his right to liberty as grounds for granting bail.
The verdict has renewed debates on prolonged detention in UAPA cases, even as the NIA maintains its charges remain serious.
The Bombay High Court has granted bail to former Delhi University Professor Hany Babu, on December 4. Babu was arrested in 2020 and spent over five years in jail in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case.
A division bench headed by Justices A.S. Gadkari and R. Bhosale ruled in his favour, ending his prolonged pre-trial incarceration. Babu will be released upon submitting a surety bond of Rs.1 lakh.
Babu was arrested in July 2020 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under allegations of links to banned Maoist organisations. Over the years, multiple courts including a special NIA court and earlier High Court hearings rejected his bail pleas. Babu had approached the Supreme Court, but withdrew his petition in May 2024 to reapply bail plea before the Bombay High Court.
During the recent hearing, Babu’s counsel argued that continuing custody without any trial or formal charge framing violated his fundamental rights. The bench noted the excessive delay in prosecuting the case, particularly as several co-accused had already secured bail under similar circumstances and granted him bail.
