New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice on a bail plea filed by lawyer Surendra Gadling, who is behind bars in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case.

A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela Trivedi agreed to examine the matter and sought response of Maharashtra on the plea filed by Gadling, who is lodged Navi Mumabi’s Tajola Central Prison under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The Bombay High Court in January had dismissed his appeal filed under Section 21(4) of the NIA Act seeking bail.

The anti-terror agency charged Gadling for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy with Maoist rebels to set ablaze 76 trucks which were carrying iron ore from Surajgarh mines in Maharashtra. He is further alleged to be involved in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad violence - where clashes erupted between various caste groups after "provocative" speeches were given by the activists of Kabir Kala Manch on December 31, 2017 in Maharashtra's Pune.

Gadling had claimed that he is a criminal law practitioner with over 25 years of practice and was falsely implicated in the case, adding that there is no prima facie case against him and the evidence brought on record by the prosecution is neither reliable nor admissible.