The Supreme Court on Monday extended till February 17 the house arrest of Gautam Navlakha, one of the accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence case. A bench of Justice KM Joseph and Justice BV Nagarathna said the interim order allowing house arrest of Navlakha shall continue as Additional Solicitor General SV Raju was not available today for the hearing. 

Senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan told the court that Navlakha’s daughter lives abroad and sought permission if he could receive a call from her as Navlakha can’t make an international call. 

Appearing for Navlakha, Nitya Ramakrishnan told the court that earlier “We had thought we would file an application, but since we are already here. I will give the information to the NIA.” 

Earlier, the court on December 13, 2022, had extended Navlakha’s house arrest till today. He was shifted to house arrest on November 18, 2022. The top court had directed the reluctant NIA to shift Navlakha from Taloja Jail in Navi Mumbai to house arrest.

Navlakha had moved the top court requesting that he be placed under house arrest instead of being incarcerated in Taloja jail under judicial custody. 

The top court had saddled Navlakha several conditions including that he shall not use any mobile phone, laptop, communication device or gadget. 

He shall use the phone to be provided by police personnel on the duty. He will be able to use the phone once a day for 10 minutes in the presence of the police. 

The NIA had vehemently opposed Navlakha’s plea saying his condition has been improved and there was no need to put him under house arrest. 

Navlakha suffers from colon cancer and requires colonoscopy and also check up for skin allergy and dental issues. 

Navlakha had moved the top court challenging the April 26, 2022, order of the Bombay High Court which had dismissed his plea for house arrest over apprehensions of lack of adequate medical and other basic facilities in Taloja jail near Mumbai where he is currently lodged.

The High Court had said that Navlakha’s apprehensions about the lack of medical aid and inadequate basic facilities at the Taloja prison, were “ill-founded.”

Navlakha, one of the several rights activists in Bhima Koregaon case, has been booked under stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for an alleged conspiracy to topple the government. Earlier, the Supreme Court had granted bail to 82-year-old activist P Varavara Rao in the case.