Justice Sandesh Patil, Judge Bombay High Court, has recused from hearing an appeal filed by the Mumbai Press Club challenging an ad-interim order passed in favour of journalist Gurbir Singh, who had been expelled from the Club following controversy over an event attended by Bhima Koregaon accused Varavara Rao and Sudha Bharadwaj.

The dispute arose after the Mumbai Press Club expelled Singh, a member of the Club, over his role in organising an event that featured poet-activist Varavara Rao and lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj, both accused in the Bhima Koregaon–Elgar Parishad case. A city civil court had subsequently granted interim relief in Singh’s favour and stayed the expulsion, following which the Press Club approached the High Court in appeal.

The Bhima Koregaon–Elgar Parishad case stems from violence that broke out near Pune’s Bhima Koregaon memorial on January 1, 2018, a day after the Elgar Parishad event held at Pune’s Shaniwar Wada. Investigating agencies alleged that the event had Maoist links and contributed to the violence, leading to arrests of several activists, lawyers and academics under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including Varavara Rao and Sudha Bharadwaj.

Varavara Rao was granted bail by the Supreme Court on medical grounds in 2022, while Sudha Bharadwaj secured default bail from the Bombay High Court in 2021.