Bombay high court reserves order on Gautam Navlakha’s plea to quash FIR against him 

Gautam Navlakha.

New Delhi: The Bombay high court, on Friday, has reserved its order on a plea submitted by the activists Gautam Navlakha to quash the FIR filed by the Pune police against him for his alleged connection with the violence during a public meeting held in Bhima-Koregaon in Pune, on December 31, 2017. Pune Police has accused him of having links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and organizing the public meeting, Elgaar Parishad, in Pune.

A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Bharati Dangre, while reserving its order on the plea, has ordered to continue the interim protection order that will protect Navlakha from arrest till the final order pronounced.

Advocate Yug Chudhary, representing Navlakha has requested court that his client could not charge with sections under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). He argued that there is no evidence against Navlakha other than letters allegedly recovered from the laptops of Navlakha and the other co-accused.

Chaudhary also said that his client had been appointed as a mediator between the Naxalites and the government to negotiate for the release of the policemen kidnapped by the Naxalites.

In the counterstatement, the bench, referring to Section 13 of UAPA said that there is punishment for advocating, abetting, advising or inciting unlawful activities. “Can you say that only someone who drops a bomb is a terrorist; there are abetters too. How do we pretend that no offence has been committed at all?”

“Some of the documents given by the police show innocence, but others need investigation. We will apply our mind and pass an order,” the bench said.

Violence had been erupted on January 1, 2018 at Bhima-Koregaon in Pune where lakhs of people had gathered to observe the anniversary of the Battle of Bhima-Koregaon. One person had been killed and several others injured in the violence.

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