Bhima Koregaon case: Supreme Court to study proof against Gautam Navlakha

The Supreme Court on Friday told civil rights activist Gautam Navlakha that his alleged link with a banned Maoist group was too "serious" a charge to be ignored by the Court as any decision to free him from this taint can be taken only after examining the evidence. The Court directed the state to produce the evidence on October 15. Till then, state agreed not to arrest Navlakha in this case.

On September 13 the Bombay High Court had dismissed Navlakha's petition to quash the FIR pending against him since January 2018. The HC arrived at this conclusion after the state police produced a sealed cover containing incriminating material to prove "unlawful" acts committed by the veteran journalist and human rights activist.

Taking up his appeal challenging the Bombay HC order, the apex bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta asked the state government to keep the evidence against Navlakha that was produced before the HC ready. The state counsel Nishant Katneshwarkar informed the Court that the investigating officer of the case would also be present on the next date.

For Navlakha, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that his client being a journalist and a vocal supporter of human rights is made to suffer for keeping a view different from that of the Centre. Singhvi said that his client has condemned violence in any form, be it by Naxals or by the security forces and has also served the government by acting as a channel of communication for dialogue with the Naxals. This made many Naxals suspect him to be a government agent.

Calling the offence 'serious, the bench said, "You cannot ignore the offences registered against you under the UAPA. It is a serious issue. Membership simplicitor with a banned organisation is not the issue in your case as membership of such outfits generally has no documentary evidence. It must be inferred from meetings, communications and documents."