SC reserves verdict on bail plea of Navlakha

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Friday reserved its verdict on a plea of activist Gautam Navlakha seeking bail in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case of Bhima Koregaon lodged in Maharashtra.

A bench of Justices UU Lalit and KM Joseph after hearing detailed arguments from senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Navlakha and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for NIA reserved the verdict. On March 3, the SC sought response from NIA on the plea of Navlakha seeking default bail in the case, saying charge sheet was not filed within the stipulated time period.

According to police, some activists allegedly made inflammatory speeches and provocative statements at the Elgar Parishad meet in Pune on December 31, 2017, which triggered violence at Koregaon Bhima the next day. The police have also alleged that the event was backed by some Maoist groups.

The high court had said that “it sees no reason to interfere with a special court’s order which earlier rejected his bail plea”.

Navlakha had approached the high court last year, challenging the special NIA court’s order of July 12, 2020 that rejected his plea for statutory bail.

On December 16 last year, the High Court bench reserved its verdict on the plea filed by Navlakha, seeking statutory or default bail on the ground that he had been in custody for over 90 days, but the prosecution failed to file a charge sheet in the case within this period.

The NIA had argued that his plea was not maintainable, and sought an extension of time to file the charge sheet. The special court had then accepted NIA’s plea seeking extension of 90 to 180 days to file the charge sheet against Navlakha and his co-accused, activist Dr Anand Teltumbde.

Navlakha’s counsel had told the HC that the NIA was granted the extension to file its charge sheet.