New Delhi: The Bombay high court on Thursday extended the interim protection from arrest granted to activists Gautam Navlakha, Stan Swamy and Anand Teltumbde till November 21. The court was hearing the activists’ plea to squash the FIR the Maharashtra police has filed against them in relation to the Bhima Koregaon case.
The bench posted the matters for hearing on November 21 after noting that petitions pertaining to the case were pending before the Supreme Court. Earlier, the court had restrained police from arresting the activists until November 1.
“We will wait and see what order the Supreme Court passes in those matters. Till the next date of hearing, the interim relief shall continue,” the bench said.
Lawyer Yug Mohit Chaudhry, who is appearing for Navlakha, told the court that the Pune police have arrested eminent people and distinguished scholars but no evidence has been produced before any court, Indian Express reported.
While Navlakha was put under house arrest in the case, Teltumbde and Swamy were not arrested.
Apart from Navlakha, the police had, on August 28, also arrested activists Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Sudha Bharadwaj for their alleged links with Maoists.
The police had alleged that Maoists had supported the Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune, which had led to the violence.
Navlakha was released by the Delhi high court, after which he moved the Bombay high court seeking to quash the FIR against him.
(With PTI inputs)