NIA opposes Rona Wilson’s bail plea
MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday opposed the temporary bail plea filed by Elgar Parishad accused and activist Rona Wilson to visit his native place in Kerala to attend the mass organised following his father’s death. The agency contended that Wilson’s brother can attend the family’s prayers and the presence of the accused was not necessary at the venue.
Wilson had filed the plea on Saturday through advocates Satyanarayan Iyer and Neeraj Kumar and sought temporary bail for two weeks, starting September 13.
NIA, through its counsel Prakash Shetty, filed a reply to the plea.
“The final rites of Wilson’s father are already over. The family prayer on death of his father can be attended by brother and other family members of the applicant. The applicant’s presence is not necessary. He is simply creating a ground for his release. Accordingly, he may carry out illicit activities and influence and tamper with the prosecution’s evidence. The application is devoid of merits,” NIA has said in its reply.
Kumar pointed out to the court that recently, the Bombay high court had granted temporary bail to another accused in the case, human rights lawyer Surendra Gadling, to visit his native place and perform rites on his mother’s first death anniversary. He also highlighted that Wilson had cooperated with the investigators till now, since his house had been searched on April 18, 2018, and his arrest on June 6, the same year.
The jailed activist’s father had died on August 18. Wilson, through his counsel said, at this time, if he is given the liberty to meet his family and participate in the mass, the accused could get some solace and hence, filed the bail application.
Wilson has said that as per customs, a function has been organised on the 30th-day ritual that falls on September 16. Wilson has also annexed a letter from St Sebastian Church about the function.
Special NIA judge Dinesh E Kothalikar has posted the matter for decision on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the court on Monday also heard the bail application filed by another accused, Vernon Gonsalves, citing the Covid-19 recommendations of the state’s high-power committee.
Gadling and Gonsalves had filed for bail citing the Covid-19 guidelines, while another accused, professor Shoma Sen, has filed a fresh bail application on health grounds.
Kabir Kala Manch Members Sagar Gorkhe, Jyoti Jagtap and Ramesh Gaichor along with Mahesh Raut have also filed regular bail applications, citing that they have been framed in the case and there was no evidence against them. The court has kept their pleas for hearing on September 21.