SC slams NIA, asks it to shift jailed Naviakha to house arrest in 24 hrs

Warns It Not To Seek Loopholes To 'Defy Our Orders’

- Dhananjay.Mahapatra timesgroup.com

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday trashed the National Investigation Agency’s renewed attempt to recall the court’s November 10 order allowing house arrest for four weeks of 70-year-old Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case. It ordered that the ailing activist, who is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged collaboration with banned Maoist organisation, be shifted to a CPI-owned premises within 24 hours.

Making light of solicitor general Tushar Mehta’s argument that it was shocking that Navlakha had selected a premises owned by the Communist Party, which also houses a public library, for his house arrest, a bench of Justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy asked, “Is CPI not a recognised political party? It does not shock us that he chose that building’s first floor, which is a residential unit.”

SC rejects NIA’s arguments on Navlakha’s links to ISI