The Supreme Court of India&nbsp;on Tuesday (May 14)&nbsp;granted bail&nbsp;to Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, observing that the trial is unlikely to end&nbsp;soon.

A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and S V N Bhatti refused to extend the stay imposed by the Bombay High Court in December 2023 on its bail order. The court also stipulated that Navlakha must pay Rs 20 lakh to cover security expenses during his house arrest.

The bench pointed out that Navlakha has been in custody for over four years, the trial involves 370 witnesses, six co-accused have already been granted bail, and charges have yet to be framed.

“Prima facie we are of the view that there is no need to extend the interim order of bail. The appellant has been in incarceration for more than four years and charges are yet to be framed…the High Court by detailed order has deemed fit to grant bail. The trial would take years and years and years to complete…Thus…we are not inclined to extend the stay,” the court said and asked Navlakha to cooperate with the trial.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mumbai-hoarding-collapse-billboard-recognised-in-limca-book-of-records-not-authorised-by-bmc-721200">Also read |&nbsp;Mumbai hoarding collapse: India's largest as per Limca Book of Records, the billboard wasn't cleared by BMC</a>

The court was addressing an appeal from the NIA challenging the high court's decision to grant Navlakha bail. The NIA's counsel argued that the allegations against Navlakha were serious and noted that not all co-accused had been granted bail.

While granting Navlakha bail, the high court had said that “no covert or overt terrorist act has been attributed to him under Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967”.&nbsp;

Navlakha was placed under house arrest in Navi Mumbai under strict conditions following a November 2022 Supreme Court directive, citing his claimed poor health.

Also watch |&nbsp;PM Modi files nomination from Varanasi&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pm-modi-files-nomination-from-varanasi-putin-to-visit-china-on-may-16-721317/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Although the special NIA court, in denying Navlakha's bail request, had indicated initial evidence of a connection between him and Syed Gulam Nabi Fai—convicted by a US court in 2012 for ties to the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI—the high court stated this had no bearing on the current case. According to the NIA, Navlakha had communicated with the US court seeking leniency for Fai.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday (May 14) granted bail to Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, observing that the trial is unlikely to end soon.

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday (May 14) granted bail to Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case, observing that the trial is unlikely to end soon. A bench comprising Justices M M Sundresh and S V N Bhatti refused to extend the stay imposed by the Bombay High Court in December 2023 on its bail order. The court also stipulated that Navlakha must pay Rs 20 lakh to cover security expenses during his house arrest. The bench pointed out that Navlakha has been in custody for over four years, the trial involves 370 witnesses, six co-accused have already been granted bail, and charges have yet to be framed. “Prima facie we are of the view that there is no need to extend the interim order of bail. The appellant has been in incarceration for more than four years and charges are yet to be framed…the High Court by detailed order has deemed fit to grant bail. The trial would take years and years and years to complete…Thus…we are not inclined to extend the stay,” the court said and asked Navlakha to cooperate with the trial. Also read | Mumbai hoarding collapse: India's largest as per Limca Book of Records, the billboard wasn't cleared by BMC The court was addressing an appeal from the NIA challenging the high court's decision to grant Navlakha bail. The NIA's counsel argued that the allegations against Navlakha were serious and noted that not all co-accused had been granted bail. While granting Navlakha bail, the high court had said that “no covert or overt terrorist act has been attributed to him under Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967”. Navlakha was placed under house arrest in Navi Mumbai under strict conditions following a November 2022 Supreme Court directive, citing his claimed poor health. Also watch | PM Modi files nomination from Varanasi Although the special NIA court, in denying Navlakha's bail request, had indicated initial evidence of a connection between him and Syed Gulam Nabi Fai—convicted by a US court in 2012 for ties to the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI—the high court stated this had no bearing on the current case. According to the NIA, Navlakha had communicated with the US court seeking leniency for Fai. (With inputs from agencies)

Bhima Koregaon case: India’s top court grants bail to Gautam Navlakha, says trial may ‘take years'

The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed Gautam Navlakha, one of the five rights activists arrested in connection with Koregaon-Bhima case, to be freed from the house arrest.

The high court granted him the relief saying that the Supreme Court last week had given him the liberty to approach the appropriate forum within four weeks to seek further recourse, which he has availed.

The high court also quashed the trial court's transit remand order which he had challenged before the matter was taken to the apex court.

Navlakha's detention has exceeded 24 hours which was "untenable", the high court said.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel set aside the August 28 order of chief metropolitan magistrate granting transit remand of Navlakha saying there was non-compliance of basic provisions of the Constitution and the CrPC which were mandatory in nature.

The bench said the trial court order was unsustainable in law.

"In view of Section 56 read with Section 57 of the CrPC and absence of remand order of the CMM, the detention of the petitioner has clearly exceeded 24 hours which is untenable in law. Consequently, the house arrest of the petitioner comes to an end now," the court said.

It made it clear that this order will not preclude the state of Maharashtra from proceeding further.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Very happy.For 35 days he has not stepped out. It's a political battle&amp;this is a small victory.Bigger victory is yet to come as many others are still under house arrest or in Pune Jail:Sehba Hussain,activist on Gautam Navlakha's transit remand set aside by Delhi HC <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BhimaKoregaon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BhimaKoregaon</a> <a href="https://t.co/rGBT2SYd6w">pic.twitter.com/rGBT2SYd6w</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1046745476052078592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

When the counsel for Maharashtra government sought the court to extend Navlakha's house arrest by two more days as the apex court has also extended it by four weeks, the bench said, the counsel has overlooked that the top court has passed this order to enable the activist to avail appropriate legal remedy.

The high court allowed the petition filed on behalf of Navlakha challenging his arrest and the transit remand order of the trial court.

Navlakha was arrested from the national capital on August 28. The other four activists were arrested from different parts of the country.

The Maharashtra police had arrested the activists on August 28 in connection with an FIR lodged following a conclave -- 'Elgaar Parishad' -- held on December 31 last year that had allegedly triggered violence later at Koregaon-Bhima village in the state.

The five activists -- Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha -- were put under house arrest on August 29 following an apex court order on the plea by historian Romila Thapar, economists Prabhat Patnaik and Devaki Jain, sociology professor Satish Deshpande and human rights lawyer Maja Daruwala against the police action.

Prominent Telugu poet Rao was arrested on August 28 from Hyderabad, while activists Gonsalves and Ferreira were nabbed from Mumbai, trade union activist Sudha Bharadwaj from Faridabad in Haryana and civil liberties activist Navlakha from Delhi.

The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed Gautam Navlakha, one of the five rights activists arrested in connection with Koregaon-Bhima case, to be freed from the house arrest.

The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed Gautam Navlakha, one of the five rights activists arrested in connection with Koregaon-Bhima case, to be freed from the house arrest. The high court granted him the relief saying that the Supreme Court last week had given him the liberty to approach the appropriate forum within four weeks to seek further recourse, which he has availed. The high court also quashed the trial court's transit remand order which he had challenged before the matter was taken to the apex court. Navlakha's detention has exceeded 24 hours which was "untenable", the high court said. A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Vinod Goel set aside the August 28 order of chief metropolitan magistrate granting transit remand of Navlakha saying there was non-compliance of basic provisions of the Constitution and the CrPC which were mandatory in nature. The bench said the trial court order was unsustainable in law. "In view of Section 56 read with Section 57 of the CrPC and absence of remand order of the CMM, the detention of the petitioner has clearly exceeded 24 hours which is untenable in law. Consequently, the house arrest of the petitioner comes to an end now," the court said. It made it clear that this order will not preclude the state of Maharashtra from proceeding further. Very happy.For 35 days he has not stepped out. It's a political battle&this is a small victory.Bigger victory is yet to come as many others are still under house arrest or in Pune Jail:Sehba Hussain,activist on Gautam Navlakha's transit remand set aside by Delhi HC #BhimaKoregaon pic.twitter.com/rGBT2SYd6w — ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2018 × When the counsel for Maharashtra government sought the court to extend Navlakha's house arrest by two more days as the apex court has also extended it by four weeks, the bench said, the counsel has overlooked that the top court has passed this order to enable the activist to avail appropriate legal remedy. The high court allowed the petition filed on behalf of Navlakha challenging his arrest and the transit remand order of the trial court. Navlakha was arrested from the national capital on August 28. The other four activists were arrested from different parts of the country. The Maharashtra police had arrested the activists on August 28 in connection with an FIR lodged following a conclave -- 'Elgaar Parishad' -- held on December 31 last year that had allegedly triggered violence later at Koregaon-Bhima village in the state. The five activists -- Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha -- were put under house arrest on August 29 following an apex court order on the plea by historian Romila Thapar, economists Prabhat Patnaik and Devaki Jain, sociology professor Satish Deshpande and human rights lawyer Maja Daruwala against the police action. Prominent Telugu poet Rao was arrested on August 28 from Hyderabad, while activists Gonsalves and Ferreira were nabbed from Mumbai, trade union activist Sudha Bharadwaj from Faridabad in Haryana and civil liberties activist Navlakha from Delhi.

Bhima-Koregaon case: Delhi HC ends activist Gautam Navlakha's house arrest

gautam-navlakha

Gautam Navlakha, News on Gautam Navlakha, stories on Gautam Navlakha, articles on Gautam Navlakha, Gautam Navlakha stories at Wion, Gautam Navlakha news, Gautam Navlakha latest news

gautam navlakha

Bhima Koregaon case: India’s top court grants bail to Gautam Navlakha, says trial may ‘take years'

Bhima-Koregaon case: Delhi HC ends activist Gautam Navlakha's house arrest