Elgar Parishad case: Bombay HC grants bail to Gautam Navlakha
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to activist-journalist Gautam Navlakha in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad violence case. He was booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The 73-year-old was arrested in connection to the case in August 2018. However, the Supreme Court allowed his transfer to house arrest in 2022 owing to critical health.
Why does this story matter?
The police arrested 16 activists over their alleged Maoist links, including Navlakha, claiming they gave provocative speeches at the Elgar Parishad event in Bhima Koregaon on December 31, 2017. This sparked violence between Marathas and Dalits the next day. The event, which police claimed was funded by Maoists, marked the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, fought on January 1, 1818.
HC stayed bail order for 3 weeks
On Tuesday, the HC's division bench of Justices AS Gadkari and SG Dige granted bail to Navlakha. However, it is yet to issue a detailed order on the matter. Moreover, the court stayed the bail order for three weeks to enable the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to appeal against it before the Supreme Court. The investigation agency initially sought six weeks' time.
HC granted bail on Rs. 1L surety
Navlakha obtained bail on Rs. 1 lakh surety; he's the seventh accused to receive bail in the case. Besides him, activists like Sudha Bharadwaj, P Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, late Stan Swamy, Vernon Gonzalves, and Anand Teltumbe, among others, were also accused in the matter.
Important developments so far
Navlakha, the former secretary of the People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), was arrested in August 2018. He moved the HC after a special NIA court rejected his plea last September. The matter was returned to the special court, which rejected his plea again. It said Navlakha was associated with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). He re-approached the HC, challenging this order.
Know about Elgar Parishad violence
The Elgar Parishad event in December 2017 marked the anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, where 500 Dalit soldiers fighting for the British Indian Army defeated over 20,000 Peshwas led by Baji Rao II. Following this, lakhs of Dalits gathered to commemorate the battle on January 1, 2018. Subsequently, clashes broke out between Marathas and Dalits, triggering protests and leading to numerous deaths.
