SC seeks response of NIA on Gautam Navlakha’s bail plea in Bhima Koregaon case

A bench headed issued notice to NIA on the plea of the activist against the Bombay HC order dismissing his bail plea and asked the probe agency to respond by 15 March.

Human rights activist Gautam Navlakha at his residence after he was arrested by the Pune police | PTI File photo

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday sought a response from the National Investigation Agency on the bail plea of activist Gautam Navlakha in the alleged Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.

A bench headed by Justice U U Lalit issued notice to the probe agency on the plea of the activist against the Bombay High Court order of February 8 dismissing his bail plea.

The bench took note of the brief submission of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Navlakha, and asked NIA to respond by March 15.

According to police, some activists allegedly made inflammatory speeches and provocative statements at the Elgar Parishad meet in Pune on December 31, 2017, which triggered violence at Koregaon Bhima in the district the next day.

The high court had said that “it sees no reason to interfere with a special court’s order which earlier rejected his bail plea”.