Corrupt are destroying country: SC alludes to Telangana incident while hearing Navlakha's plea for house arrest

While hearing a a plea filed by activist Gautam Navlakha that he be placed under house arrest, the Supreme Court on Wednesday alluded to a recent incident in Telangana, saying that it was the corrupt who were destroying the country and 'getting away with corruption taking the help of money'.

The top court's oral remark came while it was hearing a plea filed by activist Gautam Navlakha that he be placed under house arrest instead of judicial custody in the Elgar Parishad case.

Opposing his plea, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the National Investigation Agency, submitted that people such as Navlakha want to destroy the country.

"Their ideology is of that type. It is not that they are innocent people. They are persons involved in actual warfare," Raju said.

Read | Elgar Parishad case: Bombay High Court refuses bail to activist Jyoti Jagtap

A bench of justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy then remarked, "Do you want to know who is destroying this country? People who are corrupt. Every office you go into, what happens? Who takes action against the corrupt?"

"We saw a video of people where people talk of crores of rupees to buy our so-called elected representatives. Unless we close our eyes. Are you saying they are not doing anything against our country? The point is that you don't defend them but they go on. They go on merrily. There are money bags which can help you get away," the bench observed, in an allusion to the Telangana incident related to alleged attempt to buy TRS MLAs.

Raju said he was not defending the corrupt and that action should be taken against them.

The court asked Raju to seek instructions and apprise it on what conditions can be imposed on Navlakha if the request of house arrest is allowed.

"At least for a short period let us see. You check and come back so that nothing happens contrary to the interest of our country. We are equally conscious of that. If he does anything, he will lose his freedom," the bench said.

"He has got a host of problems and it is not unnatural for somebody who is 70. At this age, you are bound to go into a state of disrepair. It is a machine," it said.

The activist appealed against the April 26 order of the Bombay High Court dismissing his plea for house arrest.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Navlakha, said medical reports show that there is no possibility of him being treated at Taloja jail.