May 14th 2024.
In a recent development, the Supreme Court has granted bail to activist Gautam Navlakha in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. This decision was made by a bench of Justices MM Sundresh and SVN Bhatti, who declined to extend the stay imposed by the Bombay High Court on Navlakha's bail. The Court also directed him to pay Rs 20 lakh towards expenses for security while he is under house arrest.
The bench stated that they were not inclined to extend the stay as the high court's order was detailed and well-reasoned in granting bail to Navlakha. They also took into consideration the fact that the trial in this case could take years to complete. Without going into too much detail, the bench decided not to extend the stay and ordered Navlakha to pay the aforementioned amount to the opposite party as soon as possible.
It is worth noting that Navlakha has been in jail for over four years now and the charges against him are yet to be framed. The Bombay High Court had granted him bail on December 19 last year, but the NIA (National Investigation Agency) had requested for a three-week stay on the order so they could file an appeal in the Supreme Court. Navlakha, who was arrested in August 2018, was then placed under house arrest in November last year by the top court. He is currently residing in Navi Mumbai.
This case revolves around alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017. The police claim that these speeches led to violence near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial the following day. In total, sixteen activists have been arrested in connection with this case, out of which five are currently out on bail.
Overall, this decision by the Supreme Court comes as a relief to Navlakha, who has been in jail for a long time without any charges being framed against him. It remains to be seen how this case will progress in the future.
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