Special NIA Court Rejects Bail Plea Of Gautam Navlakha In Elgar Parishad-Maoist Links Case

A special NIA court in Mumbai today has rejected the bail plea of activist Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.

Special Judge Rajesh Katariya denied Navlakha bail after hearing the submissions afresh.

Last month, the Bombay High Court quashed the earlier order passed by the special judge and directed him to rehear Navlakha's bail plea. The High Court had said the special court's order did not contain an analysis of the evidence relied upon by the prosecution.

Navlakha was arrested in August 2018 and was moved to Taloja Jail near Mumbai in April 2020 after initial period of house arrest.

On November 10 last year, the Supreme Court allowed his plea to be shifted back to house arrest for a month. Navlakha is at present residing in Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra's Thane district.

The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017 which the police claim triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.

In January this year, the Supreme Court had extended till February 17, its interim order placing Navlakha, accused of having links to Maoists and Pakistan's spy agency ISI, under house arrest. (Read Report)

On February 17, Navlakha withdrew his application seeking to be shifted to Delhi from Mumbai under house arrest. (Read Report) On November 10 last year, the 70-year-old was allowed by the apex court to be placed under house arrest owing to his deteriorating health.

With PTI Inputs