Pune: Supreme Court Grants Bail To Activist Gautam Navlakha In Bhima Koregaon Case
Pune, 14th May 2024: The Supreme Court has lifted the stay on the Bombay High Court’s order granting bail to activist Gautam Navlakha, who is an accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence case. Navlakha has been granted bail. A bench comprising Justices MM Sundaresh and SVN Bhati opted not to prolong the stay on the Bombay High Court’s order.
The court said, “Given the detailed nature of the Bombay High Court’s bail order, we are inclined not to further extend the stay. Considering the protracted duration anticipated for the case’s resolution, we refrain from prolonging the stay without a thorough discussion of the contentions.”
The Supreme Court was considering the NIA’s appeal against the Bombay High Court’s December 2023 ruling, which granted bail to Navlakha. In April, the NIA had claimed that Navlakha owed the agency approximately Rs 1.64 crore. Therefore, Navlakha will still be held accountable for covering security expenses during his house arrest.
Navlakha, renowned for his activism in the realm of human rights and his past role as secretary of the People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), was detained in August 2018. Initially imprisoned, he was eventually transferred to his residence. Following his plea, citing old age, the Supreme Court placed him under house arrest in November 2022.
