The Bombay High Court on Friday extended activist Gautam Navlakha interim protection from arrest till May 2, in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence.
A Division Bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre was hearing a plea filed by Mr. Navlakha urging the court to quash the FIR registered against him by the Pune police.
In the last hearing, advocate Yug Chaudhary appearing for Mr. Navlakha had told the court that the Delhi High Court had quashed the arrest, but the Maharashtra government filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against it, but another Bench of the Bombay HC stayed the arrest. Therefore, the arrest remains quashed as of now.
He had also listed the credentials of Mr. Navlakha, and said he has written books on conflict zones and for publications on extremists and Naxalites. He also said that Mr. Navlakha is a member of the People’s Union for Democratic Rights.
Mr. Chaudhary had said that Mr. Navlakha was always chosen by the government and Naxals as a “mediator” to communicate with each other. But now he is being attacked by both sides (the government and Naxal organisations) as they think he is being biased towards the other.
He said, “Mr. Navlakha is a peace activist”, and questioned how this can attract provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The matter was adjourned for final hearing to May 2.
