JOIN USThe Bombay High Court on Friday declined to quash the FIR against New Delhi-based civil liberties activist Gautam Navlakha, who has been booked in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case for alleged links with Maoist groups
"Considering the magnitude of the case, we feel a thorough investigation is required... the case is not without basis and absence of material," a division bench of Bombay High Court, comprising Justice Ranjit More and Justice Bharati Dangre said.
However, Navlakha would not be arrested now as the court extended the interim protection granted to him by three weeks to enable him to move the Supreme Court.
Navlakha was represented by counsel Yug Chaudhary, who sought an extension of interim protection that was granted.
Nine human rights activists and civil rights defenders, who are arrested in the case are Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Rona Wilson, Mahesh Raut and Sudhir Dhawale (arrested in first round) and P Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira (arrested in second round).
They were arrested for alleged Maoist-links and conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and overthrow an elected government.