Bhima Koregaon: Pune Police to challenge release of activist Gautam Navlakha

Pune: The Pune Police will challenge Delhi High Court's order of releasing Gautam Navlakha, one of the five rights activists arrested in connection with Koregaon-Bhima case. 

"We are consulting our senior lawyers representing Maharashtra government for our further course of action. And considering all legal options available to us including to challenge Delhi High Court order that released Mr Gautam Navlakha. The opinion of legal experts is awaited and action will be taken accordingly,” Pune Police Joint commissioner told Zee News. 

Releasing Navlakha, the court said 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.

Bail plea of another activist Sudha Bhardwaj will be heard by the Punjab and Haryana High court Wednesday.

The five activists – Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Bharadwaj and Navlakha – were arrested by Pune police on August 28 in connection with an FIR lodged following a conclave Elgaar Parishad held on December 31 last year that had allegedly triggered violence at Koregaon-Bhima village near Pune on January 1.

The police claimed that all the five have links with Maoists. 

The activists were later put under house arrest on August 29 following an order by the SC.