The Supreme Court on Friday reserved its order on a plea by activist Gautam Navlakha for statutory bail in the Bhima Koregaon case.
He questioned the Bombay HC order of February 8 which said alleged illegal detention cannot be considered to compute the 90 days-time stipulated to file a chargesheet.
A bench of U U Lalit and K M Joseph wrapped up the hearing on his petition as his counsel senior advocate Kapil Sibal contended Navlakha ought to be released on default bail, as the charge sheet was filed after 93 days of his custody. He also maintained two days period of transit from Delhi to Mumbai should also be counted in 90 days period.
On March 16, 2020, the top court had declined anticipatory bail to Navlakha and told him to surrender within three weeks before the NIA.
On April 8, 2020, it gave him one more week to surrender in the case of their alleged link to banned Maoist outfit that allegedly emerged after the Bhima Koregaon violence.
An event 'Elgar Parishad' was held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which allegedly led to caste violence on January 1, 2018. Several prominent activists have already been arrested in the matter.
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