In an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court, on the present Monday, prolonged the stay initially imposed by the Bombay High Court on the execution of its decree that accorded freedom to the activist, Gautam Navlakha, who stands under allegations in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case. Currently residing under house confinement in Navi Mumbai, Navlakha’s liberty, granted by the high court in December of the previous year, faced suspension for three weeks at the request of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which sought an opportunity to challenge the decree in the highest court. In the ongoing hearing, the bench, comprised of Justices M M Sundresh and S V N Bhatti, acknowledged the existing stay by the Bombay High Court, deeming it perpetuated until the subsequent hearing scheduled for the initial week of March.
This legal episode traces back to November 2022 when the apex court entertained an appeal lodged by the NIA, contesting the bail accorded to Navlakha. During that period, the apex court, cognizant of Navlakha’s compromised health, permitted his relocation from Navi Mumbai’s Taloja prison to house confinement. The NIA fervently opposed this arrangement. A total of 16 activists were implicated for their alleged affiliation with the proscribed CPI(Maoist), with five of them currently enjoying bail.
