The Supreme Court of India has granted bail to activist Gautam Navlakha in the Bhima Koregaon case, citing his advanced age and the prolonged trial period as significant factors in the decision. The court noted that other accused in the case have also been granted bail.
Previously, the Bombay High Court had released Navlakha on bail in December last year. However, following an appeal by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the High Court had stayed its order for three weeks. On January 5, the Supreme Court extended this stay until further orders.
In addition to granting bail, the Supreme Court has ordered Navlakha to reimburse the Mumbai Police 20 lakh rupees for the expenses incurred during his house arrest, which had been initiated at his request. The court highlighted that Navlakha could not avoid paying the 1.64 crore rupees requested by the Mumbai Police for security costs during his house arrest.
Navlakh and others were accused of delivering provocative speeches at the Elgar Parishad conference held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which allegedly led to violence the following day at the Bhima Koregaon war memorial.
