India's National Investigation Agency filed a plea on Monday to impound the passports of five accused in the Elgar Parishad case, including academician Anand Teltumbde.
The special NIA court in Mumbai directed the accused to file replies to the plea, which cites provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, according to court documents. The matter is set for hearing on October 9.
The plea targets Rona Wilson, Mahesh Raut, Anand Teltumbde, Gautam Navlakha and Hany Babu, all arrested in connection with the case. Special public prosecutor Prakash Shetty moved the application, the NIA said in filings.
The Elgar Parishad case stems from an event held at Shaniwar Wada in Pune on December 31, 2017, on the eve of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon. The gathering included speeches that authorities said incited violence the next day at Bhima Koregaon, where one person died and several were injured in clashes between Dalit and upper-caste groups.
A total of 16 people were arrested in the case, which alleges links to Maoist groups. The probe was transferred to the NIA in 2018. Most accused, including Teltumbde, received bail from the Bombay High Court in 2022, with conditions including passport deposit and travel restrictions.
Teltumbde, a Dalit rights activist, had earlier sought Bombay High Court permission in March to travel to Europe for academic lectures, but the NIA opposed the plea, the court records show.
NIA officials were not immediately available for comment on the passport impounding request.