Mahesh Raut, implicated in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, has petitioned the Bombay High Court following the rejection of his request by a special court to travel to Kerala for Ayurvedic therapy in January 2026. [Mahesh Raut v. NIA & Ors.] Raut initially approached the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai, seeking permission to visit Poonthottam Ayurvedasram in Kerala from January 29 to February 7 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren’s syndrome, requesting a relaxation in his bail conditions for this out-of-state travel.
The NIA opposed Raut’s application, arguing that his medical documentation was ambiguous and that the effectiveness of the proposed Ayurvedic treatment was neither clear nor proven. The agency also emphasized the stringent bail conditions imposed by the High Court, which included a restriction to remain within its jurisdictional boundaries.
The special court observed that while Raut’s medical conditions were corroborated by records, nearly all medical treatments are accessible in Mumbai, a city recognized for its medical tourism. The court had previously permitted Raut temporary liberties, such as attending law exams at Siddharth College of Law in Mumbai’s Fort area and residing in Thane for medical reasons, both of which restricted him to Mumbai and its vicinity, unlike his current request to travel to Kerala.
On January 21, the special judge dismissed Raut’s plea, citing that allowing such travel would contravene the High Court’s directives. Dissatisfied with this decision, Raut has now appealed to the High Court.
Raut was originally arrested by Pune police in 2018 and remained in custody until granted temporary bail by the Supreme Court in September 2025 on medical grounds, acknowledging his need for specialized treatment due to rheumatoid arthritis. Earlier, in September 2023, the Bombay High Court had granted him regular bail, but this order was stayed for a week after the NIA sought to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court, with the stay being subsequently extended. The Supreme Court later provided interim medical bail to Raut in September 2025, considering his medical ailments, and he has remained on bail since then.
