On Thursday, the National Investigation Agency informed the Supreme Court that Gautam Navlakha is obligated to make a payment of ₹ 1.64 crore towards expenses for making available police personnel for his security during house arrest. However, the lawyer representing the activist disputed the figure and accused the agency of engaging in “extortion.”
As part of the expenses incurred for round-the-clock protection, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who was representing the National Investigation Agency (NIA), informed a bench consisting of justices MM Sundresh and SVN Bhatti that Navlakha, who is 70 years old and was arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist linkages case, has only paid a substantial sum of ₹ 10 lakh up to this point.
He is required to pay a certain sum, Mr. Raju stated.
While representing Mr. Navlakha, senior counsel Nitya Ramakrishnan questioned the figure of ₹ 1.64 crore, stating that the agency's estimate of the amount payable was incorrect and in violation of the applicable norms.
NIA has opposed this sum, and the matter needs to be heard, she said. “We have contested this amount.”They can't obtainn one crore from citizens in exchange for holding them in jail.
“Citizens are not entitled to house arrest,” the law enforcement officer asserted in response.
After tthat Ms. Ramakrishnan stated, “Even according to their own rules, this is not the sufficient amount.” Furthermore, extortion is not possible because of this. A poor man can't escape.”
The use of the word “extortion” was met with much opposition by Mr. Raju.
The highest court stated that the subject should be heard in further detail and scheduled the case for April.
The stay that the Bombay High Court has placed on the operation of its decision that granted bail to Mr. Navlakha will remain in effect until some point in the future.
On December 19, 2018, the Bombay High Court granted bail to Mr. Navlakha. However, the court postponed its ruling for three weeks after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) requested further time to submit an appealtoh the highest court.
An earlier statement made by the Supreme Court stated that continuing to place Mr. Navlakha under house arrest would establish a “wrong precedent.”
From November 2022 until the present, Mr. Navlakha has been placed under house arrest at a public library in Mumbai.
On November 10, 2022, the highest court in the land issued an order for Mr. Navlakha to be placed under house arrest. As part of this judgment, the court instructed him to deposit ₹ 2.4 lahks to cover the expenses that the state would incur to successfully place him under house arrest.
Subsequently, it repeated its directive to Mr. Navlakha, instructing him to deposit an additional ₹ 8 lakh as charges for the provision of policemen for his protection.
The highest court in the land granted permission for Mr. Navlakha, who was at the time being held at the Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai in connection with the case, to be placed under house arrest on November 10, 2022. This was because his health was worsening.
The case pertains to alleged inciting comments that were delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave that was held in Pune on December 31, 2017. According to the police, these speeches were responsible for the violence that occurred the following day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial, which is located on the fringes of the western cities of Maharashtra.
In connection with this investigation, as many as sixteen activists have been taken into custody, and five of them are currently free on bail.