Elgaar Parishad case: Bombay HC gives activists one-day relief from arrest

A division bench, comprising Justice B P Dharmadhikari and Justice Sarang Kotwal, posted the matter on Thursday and granted relief to Navlakha, Teltumbde and Swamy till Thursday.

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The court was hearing a petition filed by the three of them, seeking to quash the FIR lodged by the Pune Police on January 1 in connection with the Koregaon Bhima violence. (Representational)

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted activists Gautam Navlakha, Anand Teltumbde and Stan Swamy protection from arrest till Thursday. The court was hearing a petition filed by the three of them, seeking to quash the FIR lodged by the Pune Police on January 1 in connection with the Koregaon Bhima violence.

Navlakha’s lawyer Yug Chaudhry informed the court that in the previous hearing the court had adjourned the matter, after it was told that the case pertaining to the matter was being heard before the Supreme Court. He added that the matter was heard by the Supreme Court on November 16 and it was adjourned on the same day because the state sought time to file a rejoinder.

Senior lawyer Mihir Desai for Teltumbde and Swamy sought a hearing on Thursday and further relief.

A division bench, comprising Justice B P Dharmadhikari and Justice Sarang Kotwal, posted the matter on Thursday and granted relief to Navlakha, Teltumbde and Swamy till Thursday.

Activists Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj, P Varavara Rao and Gautam Navlakha had been placed under house arrest for four weeks on the directions of the Supreme Court.

The FIR in the case, lodged by Pune resident Tushar Damgude on January 8, initially named Harshali Potdar and Sudhir Dhawale of the Republican Panthers, and Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor, Jyoti Jagtap and Deepak Dhengle of the Pune-based Kabir Kala Manch.
It claimed that the accused, as per the strategy of CPI-Maoist, “misled Dalits and spread thoughts of violence” in their minds.

On June 6, the police had arrested activist Rona Wilson, Nagpur-based lawyer Surendra Gadling, Nagpur University professor Shoma Sen, former Prime Minister Rural Development fellow Mahesh Raut and activist Sudhir Dhawale in connection with the case.
All had been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

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