SC: Show charge sheet filed against 5 activists

NEWDELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Maharashtra government to produce the charge sheet it has filed against the five activists for their alleged links with Maoist in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence in Pune last year.

A bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it would go through the “charges” against accused Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Sudhir Dhawale, Mahesh Raut and Rona Wilson.

The bench, also comprising justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph, was hearing the Devendra Fadnavis government’s appeal against the Bombay high court order that refused to grant more time beyond the stipulated 90 days to file its charge sheet against the accused.

The accused are charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which allows police to approach the trial court for more time to file the charge sheet. In this case, the Maharashtra Police got permission from the lower court, which was set aside by the HC. On the state government’s appeal, the SC had stayed the HC order. The SC will now

SC WAS HEARING A PLEA BY THE FADNAVIS GOVT AGAINST HC ORDER THAT REFUSED TO GRANT MORE TIME BEYOND STIPULATED 90 DAYS TO FILE ITS CHARGE SHEET

take up the matter on Saturday.

“On the very same day, the public prosecutor submitted her report/application carving out the grounds for extension of time. The public prosecutor, by way of abundant precaution, took signature of the investigating officer. But the HC was carried away by the fact of signature of the investigating officer and arrived at a conclusion that the report/application was not by the public prosecutor,” read the state appeal.

In a related case, the Maharashtra government filed its affidavit against Gautam Navlakha whose house arrest was ended by the Delhi HC. Acting on a habeas corpus petition, the HC had on October 1 freed Navlakha against whom the state has approached the SC. He was arrested along with Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Sudha Bharadwaj.