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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed Gautam Navlakha, accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, to pay another ₹8 lakh to the Maharashtra Police as security expenses during his house arrest [Gautam Navlakha vs National Investigation Agency and anr].
A Bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna granted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) two weeks’ time to file a counter affidavit.
“In the meantime, the petitioner to deposit a sum of Rs.8,00,000/- (Rupees Eight Lakhs) towards the amount payable by the petitioner in terms of the order passed by this Court,” the order stated.
The apex court had, on November 10 last year, allowed a plea filed by Navlakha to be shifted him from jail to house arrest for a month.
In that order, the Court had initially asked the activist to deposit ₹2.4 lakh for expenses towards the house arrest while being under surveillance of the Maharashtra Police.
Navlakha, a former Secretary of the People’s Union for Democratic Rights, was arrested in August 2018, but was initially placed under house arrest. He was later moved to Taloja Central Prison in Maharashtra in April 2020 after a Supreme Court order.
Relying upon the Supreme Court judgment in his default bail case, Navlakha moved the High Court pointing out that he was being denied basic medical aid and other necessities in Taloja and was suffering great hardships at his advanced age.
The Bombay High Court, however, rejected the plea, prompting the present appeal before apex court. The top court had allowed the plea subject to various safeguards. The same have since been extended.
In Friday’s hearing before the top court, Senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan requested that Navlakha be allowed to walk for more than 45 minutes.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju representing the NIA then said he would need instructions on the same.
Justice Joseph then quipped,
“For walking? He is doing them [police] a favour. Most of them are out of shape otherwise.”
The Bench indicated it would consider the request at the next date of hearing, on May 15.
