Supreme Court to Hear Surendra Gadling's Bail Plea in Surjagarh Arson Case on October 14
The Supreme Court on Tuesday announced that it will hear on October 14 a bail plea filed by advocate and activist Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Augustine George Masih, and Sandeep Mehta considered the matter after submissions from both sides. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Mr. Gadling, told the court that his client has been incarcerated for over seven years. He informed the Bench that Mr. Gadling was also an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case and had already secured bail in that matter, arguing that another case was foisted on him at the same time.
Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing on behalf of the Maharashtra government, requested the Bench to list the plea on a non-miscellaneous day to allow for a detailed hearing, stating that he needed to present the evidence against the accused.
The bail petition relates to the 2016 incident in which several vehicles transporting iron ore from the Surjagarh mines in Gadchiroli were allegedly set on fire by individuals linked to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
Mr. Gadling has been lodged in Taloja Central Prison since June 2018 following his initial arrest in the Elgar Parishad case, where investigators alleged that provocative speeches at the December 31, 2017 conclave in Pune led to violence near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial the next day. He was subsequently arrested in February 2019 in connection with the Surjagarh arson case.
The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court had rejected Mr. Gadling's bail application on January 31, 2023, observing that allegations regarding his membership in the banned Maoist group appeared prima facie true. He then moved the Supreme Court, which issued notice on his petition on October 10, 2023.
The bail proceedings have witnessed multiple procedural delays and recusals. Justice Shree Chandrashekhar recused himself from the matter on July 21, 2026, marking the third recusal by a Supreme Court judge in the case within a single year without assigning reasons. Earlier, on August 8, 2025, senior advocate Anand Grover had also sought an urgent hearing before the Chief Justice of India, highlighting prolonged incarceration and repeated adjournments.
