Bhima-Koregaon case: Maharashtra government challenges activist Gautam Navlakha's release from house arrest in SC

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court order for releasing Left-wing activist Gautam Navlakha, held in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon case, from house arrest.

Navlakha was recently arrested by the Maharashtra Police, which is probing the case, and put under house arrest after he approached the top court.

ANI confirmed that the Maharashtra government will mention the issue before Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, seeking an immediate stay on the Delhi High Court order to release Gautam Navlakha from house arrest.

The Pune Police had earlier said that the government lawyers in Maharashtra would study the Delhi High Court's Monday order freeing activist Gautam Navlakha before deciding on the future course of action in this regard.

Shivaji Bodkhe, the Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Pune had said that the future course of action will be decided after government pleaders give their legal opinion on the matter.

"Our government pleaders are studying the order of the high court and our investigating officer is also travelling to the national capital. So after obtaining their legal opinion, the further course of action will be decided," Bodkhe said.

Navlakha is one of the five Left-wing activists who was arrested by the Pune police in August-end in connection with the Koregaon-Bhima case.

The Delhi HC had on Monday freed Navlakha from house arrest saying 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.

Granting relief to Navlakha, the high court also quashed the trial court's transit remand order which he had challenged before the matter was taken to the Supreme Court.

Navlakha was arrested from the national capital on August 28. The other four activists were arrested from different parts of the country.

They were arrested in connection with an FIR lodged following a conclave - 'Elgaar Parishad' - held on December 31 last year that had allegedly triggered violence at Koregaon-Bhima village near Pune on January 1.

All arrested five activists - Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Navlakha - were put under house arrest on August 29 following an apex court order.

Rao, a prominent Telugu poet, was arrested on August 28 from Hyderabad, while activists Gonsalves and Ferreira were nabbed from Mumbai and trade union activist Sudha Bharadwaj from Faridabad in Haryana.

The police have claimed that all the five have links with Maoists. 

(With PTI inputs)