Elgar Parishad case: SC dismisses NIA plea to recall house arrest order for activist Gautam Navlakha
FirstpostThe SC refused to reverse its order after a brief back-and-forth but stated that house arrest must have “certain safeguards” New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency on Friday said that the Supreme Court was ‘deliberately misled’ when it allowed house arrest for activist and Koregaon-Bhima case accused, Gautam Navlakha, who is reportedly unwell. The SC refused to reverse its order after a brief back-and-forth but stated that house arrest must have “certain safeguards.” The 70-year-old has not been moved out of prison despite the top court’s order. The NIA, which is represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, in the court raised concerns about the safety of the location chosen by Navlakha’s team and urged the court to scrap the house arrest order. To which the bench pointed out that the party was a recognised political party of the country and further said that the arguments can be taken forward on premises as ‘health and other issues are already argued.” Navlakha was arrested in April 2020 in connection with Maharashtra’s Koregaon-Bhima violence on 1st January, just a day after he allegedly delivered inflammatory speeches at an Elgar Parishad conclave.