Supreme Court permits Bhima Koregaon accused Gautam Navlakha to be placed under house arrest

The Supreme Court Thursday allowed activist Gautam Navlakha, arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case, to be placed under house arrest in Mumbai.

A bench of Justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy allowed the 70-year-old to be placed under house arrest for a month in Mumbai while imposing a number of conditions.

In a relief to the activist, the bench said prima facie there is no reason to decline his medical report. The court also rejected a contention by the NIA that one of the doctors who examined him was his direct relative.

“We would think that he should be allowed to be placed for house arrest for a period of one month,” the bench said. In its order, the court directed that Navlakha will not use internet, computer, or any other communication device during the period of house arrest.

The court, however, permitted him to use a mobile phone, provided by police personnel on duty, without internet connectivity for 10 minutes in their presence.

Allowing Navlakha’s house arrest, the bench noted that it is unlikely that the case will make any progress towards completion in the foreseeable future. The court also pointed out charges have yet not been framed in the case.

The bench made it clear that Navlakha should not be allowed to leave Mumbai and he will also make no attempt to influence witnesses during the period of his house arrest. The top court also ordered that there should be CCTVs at the entrance exit and outside the rooms of the residence.

Among other conditions, the court said Navlakha has to bear the cost of surveillance and asked him to deposit Rs 2.4 lakh.

The top court put the matter in December for further hearing.

On November 9, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the National Investigation Agency, submitted that people such as Navlakha want to destroy the country and alleged that he is pro-Maoist and indicated his links with Pakistan’s ISI.

Raju emphasised that they are not innocent people and involved in actual warfare, and “they want to destroy the country”.

On September 29, the Supreme Court directed the Taloja jail superintendent to immediately shift Navlakha to Mumbai’s Jaslok hospital for treatment.

Navlakha appealed against the Bombay High Court's order, dismissing his plea to be transferred from Taloja Prison to house arrest.