New Delhi (The Hawk): In spite of the court's order, activist and Bhima Koregaon case defendant Gautam Navlakha has not been placed under house arrest. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear his new petition on Friday.
On Thursday, Navlakha's attorney brought the issue before a bench presided over by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. The attorney claimed that the November 10th ruling from the highest court regarding house arrest was not being carried out.
NIA's Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that Navlakha gave information about a Communist party-owned library that doubled as a residence rather than giving his home address. Mehta's submissions were opposed by Navlakha's attorney. It was mentioned that it was a library, according to the attorney.
Mehta claimed that the NIA has submitted an application and is also asking the court for specific instructions. Mehta requested that the case be listed in court on Monday.
Following a hearing of brief arguments, the Supreme Court announced that the bench led by Justice KM Joseph, who had issued the order for house arrest, will hear both the NIA's and the accused's arguments on Friday.
After taking into account his failing health, the top court permitted Navlakha to be placed under house arrest on November 10. They also ordered him to post a local surety of Rs 2 lakh by November 14.
The top court set forth a number of requirements before approving the 70-year-one-month old's house arrest in Mumbai. The bench set the case's next hearing for December 13 and stated, "We would think on a conspectus of the facts that we should allow the petitioner to be placed under house arrest at least to begin with until the next date of hearing from the date on which he is actually placed on house arrest."
On September 29, the Supreme Court ordered that Gautam Navlakha, who was imprisoned in the Bhima Koregaon case, be transferred right away to Mumbai's Jaslok hospital for medical attention.
Navlakha filed a petition with the Supreme Court to review the Bombay High Court's April judgement rejecting his request to be moved from Taloja Prison and given house arrest in its place. He was taken into custody in August 2018 and initially put under house arrest. Following an order from the Supreme Court, he was transferred to Maharashtra's Taloja Central Prison in April 2020.
(Inputs from Agencies)
