MUMBAI, May 5 -- The Bombay High Court on Monday granted bail to Surendra Gadling, a lawyer known for defending human rights activists, Dalits and Adivasis, in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case, citing his prolonged incarceration of over eight years and the principle of parity with co-accused. However, Gadling, lodged at Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai, is unlikely to be released immediately, as he remains in custody in connection with another case linked to a suspected Maoist attack. A division bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Kamal Khata noted that Gadling had spent eight years as an undertrial while the case was still at a pre-trial stage. The trial court is currently hearing discharge applications filed by several of the 15 accused and is yet to frame charges. "Prolonged incarceration as an undertrial prisoner is a ground for relief," the bench observed. Gadling, arrested in June 2018 by the Pune Anti-Terrorism Squad, is among 16 accused named in the chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He was booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code for alleged links with banned Maoist groups. His earlier bail pleas had been rejected by a Pune sessions court in November 2019, a decision later upheld by the High Court and the Supreme Court. According to the NIA, the Elgar Parishad event held on December 31, 2017, at Shaniwar Wada in Pune to mark the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle was allegedly funded by the banned CPI (Maoist) as part of a larger conspiracy to incite unrest. Cultural performances and speeches at the event focused on anti-caste and anti-communal themes. Violence broke out the following day, January 1, 2018, at Bhima Koregaon village between groups carrying saffron flags and those who had gathered to commemorate the battle anniversary. One person was killed and several others injured. Investigators have claimed that speeches at the Elgar Parishad triggered the clashes and that the event had Maoist backing. In his bail plea filed through advocate Rahul Arote, Gadling maintained that he was "falsely arrested" due to his professional work as a defence lawyer, particularly for former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba. He denied attending or organising the Elgar Parishad event and argued that the speeches delivered there were aimed at upholding constitutional values. The plea also questioned the integrity of evidence collection, alleging procedural lapses in the seizure of electronic devices. Gadling contended that the material cited against him was "vague", "uncorroborated" and "defied logic". With this order, all 15 surviving accused in the case have now secured bail on various grounds, including medical conditions, prolonged incarceration and parity. Jesuit priest Stan Swamy, one of the accused, died in custody in 2021 while awaiting bail. The case was originally registered by Pune police in January 2018 based on a complaint alleging that provocative speeches and performances at the Elgar Parishad event led to the violence. The probe was later transferred to the NIA in January 2021. Despite Monday's relief, Gadling will remain in jail as his bail plea in the Surjagarh arson case, linked to the burning of 76 vehicles transporting iron ore in December 2016, is still pending before the Supreme Court....