India, Nov. 27 -- A special court constituted under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday rejected a plea by scholar and human rights activist Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case, seeking permission to travel to Kochi later this week for an academic engagement.

Teltumbde, who is currently out on bail, had sought leave to visit Kochi between November 28 and 30 to speak at a literature and arts festival organised by Malayala Manorama. The NIA opposed the application, telling the court in a handwritten note that he was "in habit of seeking permission to proceed out of Mumbai" and that the request had been filed "at the eleventh hour".

Special Judge Chakor S Baviskar refused the plea, ci...