The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Chhattisgarh Kranti Sena chief Amit Baghel in the Balodabazar violence case, providing significant relief to him and two co-accused, Ajay Yadav and Dinesh Verma. The apex court, however, directed Baghel not to enter Raipur district for the next three months as a condition of his bail.

The order clears the way for Baghel's release from jail after he had earlier secured bail in a separate case related to an alleged objectionable remark against a revered figure of the Sindhi community.

Supreme Court Sets Aside High Court Order

The bail plea was argued by senior advocate P.B. Suresh along with advocate Harshvardhan Parganiha.

During the hearing, the Chhattisgarh government opposed the bail, arguing that several other accused in the case had remained in jail for nearly seven months, whereas Baghel's period of custody was comparatively shorter. The state contended that this was one of the reasons the Chhattisgarh High Court had rejected his bail plea.

The Supreme Court disagreed, observing that the duration of custody alone cannot be the sole ground for denying bail. It subsequently set aside the High Court's earlier order.

Court Questions Continued Detention

The defence argued that the state had described Amit Baghel as the alleged "kingpin" of the violence but had failed to present sufficient evidence to substantiate the claim.

The Supreme Court noted that the chargesheet had already been filed and the investigation was complete, with all relevant documents placed on record. The bench observed that an accused cannot be kept in jail indefinitely once the investigation has concluded.

According to the defence counsel, the court remarked that continued incarceration was not justified after completion of the investigation.

High Court Had Earlier Denied Relief

About two months ago, the Chhattisgarh High Court had rejected the bail applications of Amit Baghel, Ajay Yadav and Dinesh Verma.

The High Court had observed that the accused allegedly incited a crowd of nearly 7,000 to 8,000 people, resulting in widespread violence that caused an estimated loss of ₹13–14 crore to government and private property. It had also taken note of alleged attacks on police personnel and disruption of law and order while refusing bail.

Background of the Case

The case relates to the violence that erupted during a protest held at Dussehra Maidan in Balodabazar on June 10, 2024.

According to the prosecution, inflammatory speeches delivered during the protest allegedly provoked the crowd, which later broke through barricades and entered the Collectorate and Superintendent of Police (SP) office premises.

The mob allegedly vandalised government property, torched the Collectorate building and several vehicles, and attacked police personnel with stones, sticks and iron rods, leaving multiple officers injured.

Police subsequently registered cases against Amit Baghel, Ajay Yadav, Dinesh Verma and several others in connection with the violence.