Bhima Koregaon case: SC extends house arrest of Gautam Navlakha till Feb 17

New Delhi [India], January 9 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Monday extended the house arrest of Gautam Navlakha, accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case, till February 17.

A bench headed by Justice KM Joseph said the interim order allowing the house arrest of Navlakha shall continue as the Additional Solicitor General SV Raju was not available today for the hearing. Senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, appearing for Navalakha, told the bench that her client’s daughter lives abroad and sought permission if he can receive a call from her.

She said, “He can’t call on an international number. I thought we will file an application, but since we are already here. I will give the information to NIA.”
Earlier, the bench had extended till today the house arrest of Navlakha.

On November 10, the apex court in an interim order permitted Navlakha to be placed under house arrest for a period of one month considering his health condition and old age.

Navlakha had moved the top court requesting that he be placed under house arrest instead of judicial custody in Taloja jail, Maharashtra.

The apex court had imposed several conditions on Navlakha including he shall not use any mobile phone, laptop, communication device or gadget. He shall use the phone to be provided by police personnel on duty. He will be able to use the phone once a day for 10 minutes in the presence of the police.

NIA had vehemently opposed Navlakha’s plea saying his condition has been improved and there was no need to put him under house arrest.

Earlier, the apex court had allowed the Superintendent of Taloja prison in Maharashtra to shift jailed activist Navlakha to Mumbai’s Jaslok hospital for medical checkup and treatment.

It had said that receiving medical treatment is a fundamental right of a prisoner.
70-year-old Navlakha had told the bench that he has colon cancer and requires a colonoscopy and also a check-up for skin allergy and dental issues.

Navlakha had moved the top court challenging the April 26 order of the Bombay High Court which had dismissed his plea for house arrest over apprehensions of lack of adequate medical and other basic facilities in Taloja jail near Mumbai where he is currently lodged.

The High Court had said Navlakha’s apprehensions about the lack of medical aid and inadequate basic facilities at the Taloja prison, were “ill-founded”.

Navlakha, one of the several civil liberties activists in the Bhima Koregaon case, has been booked under stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for an alleged conspiracy to topple the government.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had granted bail to 82-year-old activist P Varavara Rao in the case.