Elgaar Parishad case: Teltumbde, Navlakha, Gonsalves approach special court, seek bail

Academician Anand Teltumbde, activists Gautam Navlakha and Vernon Gonsalves arrested in the Elgaar Parishad case have approached a special court seeking interim bail.

The three men sent their applications from Taloja Central Jail where they are lodged and sought to be released temporarily citing their age and vulnerability to Covid-19. This was after the jail administration directed all inmates above the age of 60 to apply for interim bail due to the pandemic. Special Judge Dinesh E Kothalikar directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file its reply to their pleas.

Teltumbde and Navlakha were arrested on April 14, 2020, while Vernon was arrested in 2018 and have been lodged in jail since then. Their previous bail pleas, including on grounds of merit, health and default plea citing the delay in filing chargesheet, were rejected by the special court.