Bhima Koregaon case: Bombay HC extends activist Gautam Navlakha's interim protection from arrest till 6 December

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday extended civil rights activist Gautam Navlakha’s interim protection from arrest till Friday in the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case. [caption id=“attachment_5298721” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File photo of Gautam Navlakha. PTI[/caption] An FIR was lodged against Navlakha and others in January 2018 after the Elgar Parishad held on 31 December, 2017 allegedly triggered violence at Koregaon Bhima in Pune district the next day. Navlakha and the other accused were booked under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code. As the matter came up for hearing on Monday, his counsel Yug Chaudhary told the court he needed time to file a reply as he received the police’s affidavit in response to Navlakha’s pre-arrest bail plea on Monday itself. Justice PD Naik then posted the matter for hearing on 6 December, and extended interim relief granted to Navlakha till the next date of hearing. In September, a division bench of the high court had refused to quash the case against Navlakha, following which he had approached the Supreme Court. The apex court, while extending the interim protection till 12 November, had directed Navlakha to approach the concerned sessions court in Pune seeking pre-arrest bail. On 12 November , the Pune sessions court had rejected Navlakha's anticipatory bail plea and also refused to extend the protection granted to him by the apex court, after which he moved Bombay High Court on 13 November.