New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday orally remarked that activist Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, can not escape the liability to pay for the security costs in relation to his house arrest.
Additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju, representing the National Investigation Agency (NIA), submitted before a bench led by justice M M Sundresh that Navlakha owes nearly Rs 1.64 crore to the agency in relation to his house arrest.
The bench, also comprising justice S V N Bhatti, told Navlakha’s counsel that since he had asked for the house arrest, then he will have to pay for the security in connection with his house arrest.
Advocate Shadan Farasat, representing Navlakha, submitted before the bench that his client is willing to pay but disputed the cost of nearly Rs 1.64 crore. Opposing Farasat’s contention, Raju said that Navlakha’s counsel always say the same thing.
At this juncture, the bench said the parties should cooperate with each other and added that "the numbers will continue to fly as long as the lawyers are....".
The bench said it will give one week time to the parties and added, “whatever allegations you both have to say, say it then. We will decide….”.
The apex court scheduled the matter for further hearing on next Friday. The stay imposed by the Bombay High Court on the operation of its order granting bail to Navlakha will continue until then
The apex court was hearing NIA's appeal against the Bombay High Court order, which granted bail to Navlakha, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case of 2018. The apex court is also hearing a plea by Navlakha regarding the terms of his house arrest.
On March 7, the NIA had told the Supreme Court that activist Gautam Navlakha needs to make a payment of Rs 1.64 crore regarding expenses for making available police personnel for his security during house arrest. Navlakha’s lawyer did not agree with NIA’s claims and termed it ''extortion''.
Raju had told the court that the 70-year-old activist has paid merely Rs 10 Lakh so far towards the expenses incurred for the security, and he stressed that Navlakha must pay some more amount. Navlakha has been under house arrest at a public library in Mumbai since November 2022.
In December last year, the Bombay High Court had granted bail to Navlakha but stayed its order for three weeks after the NIA sought time to file an appeal before the apex court. Earlier, the apex court had said that keeping Navlakha under house arrest further will set a ''wrong precedent''.
The apex court, in November 2022, while ordering his house arrest had directed him to deposit Rs 2.4 lakh towards the expenses to be borne by the state for deploying police personnel regarding his house arrest. Later, the court again directed him to deposit another Rs 8 lakh as expenses.
