Supreme Court Judges Recuse from Surendra Gadling Bail Hearing

The Indian Supreme Court has seen a third judge step aside from hearing the bail plea of lawyer‑activist Surendra Gadling. Justice Shree Chandrashekhar recused himself after Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra noted a difficulty, sending the matter to a different bench. Earlier, Justices M. M. Sundresh and A. S. Chandurkar also withdrew from the case.

Gadling, charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for alleged involvement in the 2016 Gadchiroli arson case and the 2018 Elgar Parishad‑Maoist links case, has been in custody for several years. Senior advocates, including Kapil Sibal and Anand Grover, have urged an urgent hearing, noting that the bail plea has been adjourned more than ten times. The Supreme Court is now tasked with assigning the case to a bench without the recused judges.

The proceedings also touch on related matters, such as the Bhima Koregaon case and challenges to bail grants for other activists, underscoring ongoing judicial scrutiny of alleged Maoist connections.