Bhima-Koregaon case: Delhi HC frees activist Gautam Navlakha from house arrest

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday freed activist Gautam Navlakha, one of the five rights activists arrested in connection with Koregaon-Bhima case, from house arrest.

The court granted him the relief saying that the Supreme Court had last week given him the liberty to approach the appropriate forum within four weeks to seek relief, which he has availed.

The High Court bench observed that the detention is untenable in law and consequently, the house arrest of Navlakha would come to an end as of now.

The court also quashed the trial court's transit remand order which he had challenged before the matter was taken to the apex court.

The Delhi High Court did not accede to the request of Maharashtra Police Counsel to continue the extension of the house arrest of Navlakha for at least two more days.

The court said Navlakha's detention has exceeded 24 hours which was "untenable".

Last month, police arrested five left-wing activists, after raiding their homes in several states for suspected Maoist links over the Elgar Parishad meeting which was held a day before the violence.

The police raided the homes of the activists and lawyers from five states - Varavara Rao in Hyderabad, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in Mumbai, Bharadwaj in Faridabad and Gautam Navalakha in Delhi. 

In a media briefing, the police had released details of seized letters related to five activists arrested in June in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence.

The police also claimed they have "conclusive proof" to link Left-wing activists arrested in June and this week to Maoists, saying one of them spoke of a "Rajiv Gandhi-type event to end Modi-raj".

(With inputs from agencies)