human rights defender

Mahesh Raut

© Live law

HRD's year of birth

1987

HRD's Gender

Man

Type of HRD

  • Academic

HRD's thematic area of engagement

  • Civil and political rights
  • Environmental rights
  • Indigenous peoples’ rights
  • Land rights

HRD's geographical origin

Urban

Current Status

Released on bail

HRD's bio and work

Mahesh Raut is a forest rights activist and a former Prime Minister's Rural Development (PMRD) Fellow. An alumnus of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), he worked closely with Madia Gond Adivasi communities in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, helping them assert their legal rights over forest resources under the FRA and PESA Acts.

Detained since

Jun 6, 2018

Date of release

Sep 1, 2025

Charge(s)

  • Anti-government propaganda
  • Creating disturbances
  • Damage to public property

Sentence

Charge

UAPA Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38, 39, and 40; IPC Sections 120B, 115, 121, 121A, 124A, 153A, and 505(1)(b).

Latitude: 19.077444647726505

Longitude: 73.06927607089936

Geolocation of detention

Country or area of detention

Region of detention

  • Asia: Southern Asia

Location of detention - City/Town

Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra

Location of detention - Facility

Taloja Central Prison, Maharashtra

Recent case update / evolution

On 21 September 2023, Bombay High Court granted bail. September 2025, the Supreme Court granted medical bail.

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