The Bombay High Court on Thursday (December 4, 2025) granted bail to former Delhi University (DU) associate professor Hany Babu, who has been in custody for more than five years in connection with the Elgar Parishad–Bhima Koregaon case.

A Division Bench of Justices A.S. Gadkari and Ranjitsinha R. Bhonsale directed that Babu be released on a personal bond of ₹1 lakh with sureties. The court observed that his prolonged incarceration without commencement of trial violated his fundamental right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Mr. Babu was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 28, 2020, under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for alleged links to a Maoist conspiracy. His earlier bail pleas were rejected by a special NIA court and the High Court in 2022. In May this year, he withdrew his petition from the Supreme Court to seek fresh relief.

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The High Court clarified that its decision was based on the delay in trial and not on the merits of the allegations. The NIA opposed the plea, arguing that the charges were grave and the delay was not extraordinary. The case involves examination of more than 360 witnesses, and charges are yet to be framed.

Several co-accused, including Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, have secured bail in recent years, while others remain in custody. The NIA is expected to challenge the order before the Supreme Court.