Elgar: After securing SC bail, activists Gonsalves, Ferreira may walk out of jail next week

Mumbai: Activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, are likely to walk out of jail only next week after securing bail from the Supreme Court on Friday as certain formalities are to be completed before they are released, defence lawyers said here.

An SC bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia granted bail to the duo, noting they have been in custody for five years.

The apex court, while giving relief, asked them not to leave Maharashtra and surrender their passports to the police. It also directed the two activists to use one mobile each and let the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the case, know their addresses.

The accused, however, are likely to walk out of Navi Mumbai's Taloja jail, where they are currently lodged under judicial custody, some time next week as their bail formalities are yet to be completed before the trial court in the metropolis.

As per a lawyer, the bail order was yet to come from the Supreme Court, and after receiving the same, the special NIA judge in Mumbai will set conditions for their release. (PTI)