The Bombay High Court has declined to grant permission to Dr. Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon—Elgar Parishad case, to travel abroad for academic engagements, prompting him to withdraw his plea.
A division bench comprising Justices Ajay Gadkari and Ranjitsinha Bhonsale expressed clear reluctance to allow the travel, instead suggesting that he deliver his lectures virtually. “Either give them online, or do not go,” remarked Justice Gadkari, citing the objections raised by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Senior advocate Mihir Desai, representing Dr. Teltumbde, urged the court to appreciate that the overseas trip was more than mere lecturing—it involved seminars, masterclasses, and meetings with scholars across universities. NIA’s counsel Chintan Shah countered that permitting his travel would risk him absconding, particularly since a discharge application had already been rejected by the special NIA court. Given this backdrop, the bench declined to allow physical travel.
Acknowledging the court’s hesitation, Desai requested leave to withdraw the petition—a course the court allowed. Dr. Teltumbde’s plea sought authorisation to visit Amsterdam and the United Kingdom between April and May 2025, following invitations from multiple institutions including the University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, Nottingham Trent University, Oxford South Asia Society, Edinburgh, and University College London. His plan entailed delivering a lecture on Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, leading seminars, teaching postgraduate students, and engaging with faculty and doctoral candidates.
In its response, the NIA accepted that while Dr. Teltumbde’s published work enjoys international recognition, the necessity of his physical presence for these events was dubious, especially when remote delivery could be arranged with monitoring. The agency also pointed to the risk that Dr. Teltumbde might evade the judicial process by taking shelter overseas, or contribute to unauthorised political activities, particularly regarding CPI(M).
Having considered these submissions, the court declined to grant interim relief and allowed Dr. Teltumbde to withdraw his application.
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