Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon accused struggle to find house in city

MUMBAI: One of Gautam Navlakha’s friends in Navi Mumbai has agreed to provide him residential premises for this duration.

Navlakha is lucky when it comes to finding an accommodation. Others arrested in the case, however, have not been so fortunate after securing bail and were forced to stay in Mumbai.

Getting a house in and around the city has been a challenge both due to financial reasons as well as the fact that they were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and charged under sections of the UAPA for alleged Naxalite links.

For example, finding a house in Mumbai had been a task for Telugu poet Varavara Rao after he was released from prison on temporary bail on medical grounds on February 22, 2021 pursuant to the Bombay high court orders.

Though initially the bail was only for a period of six months, it was extended by the high court from time to time and eventually confirmed by the Supreme Court.

“It was a tough task. We somehow managed to get a house on rent in Malad for temporary accommodation for six months as the owner was headed to Germany for studies. But, when she returned, we had to vacate,” Rao’s nephew Venugopal Rao said. “House hunting in Mumbai had been a tough task, especially when it comes to the rent,” Venugopal said, adding that the present house is their fourth accommodation in one and a half year so far. After leaving

Malad, they had to start their hunt again. “It was only after the help of a friend of Jesuit priest, late father Stan Swamy, who too was arrested in the case, they got a permission to stay in an accommodation in Bandra which was a sort of hostel reserved for classes and other activities. But again, it was temporary and they were required vacate it after three months,” Venugopal added.

Common friends suggested an accommodation in Goregaon slums. “They were not at all comfortable with that life style, but we had no choice till we found a better place. Finally, after few months we found a better house but rent has been so high,” Venugopal said.

Talking about difficult financial times for Rao, Venugopal said, “Rao was a lecturer and gets a pension of ₹50,000 to ₹60,000 a month. His monthly expenses of ₹1 lakh are way beyond his pension. His daughter and some other close relatives contribute.”

In one of his pleas filed before the special NIA court, Varavara Rao had stated that after his release he was required to pay rent of ₹68,000 per month and his living expenses crossed ₹80,000 a month, excluding amount on his medication and treatment.

FINDING A HOUSE IN MUMBAI HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE - DUE TO FINANCES AND THE FACT THAT THEY CARRY THE STIGMA OF UAPA