NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has granted bail to human rights activists Vernon Gonzalez and Arun Ferreira, who have been in jail for five years in the Bhima Koregaon riots case. A bench comprising Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia granted bail to the two, who were booked under UAPA and lodged in Mumbai's Taloja Jail on charges of having links with Maoists, with strict conditions.

The bail conditions include not leaving Maharashtra, producing passports in court and using the phone in a way that NIA officials can monitor it. The two were arrested in connection with the 200th-anniversary celebrations of the Bhima Koregaon battle in Pune on January 1, 2018.

The court observed that, even though a serious offense has been alleged, the accused cannot be imprisoned for a long time without a trial. Advocates Rebecca John and R Vasanth, who appeared for Vernon Gonzalez and Arun Ferreira, argued in court that the NIA has not yet been able to prove the charges against them or submit digital evidence to substantiate them.