Supreme Court Asks Maoist Activist Gautam Navlakha To Pay Rs 1.64 Crore To Maharashtra Government, Here's Why

The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday (9 March) that activist Gautam Navlakha cannot avoid paying Rs 1.64 crore in expenses incurred by the Maharashtra government for providing police personnel during his house arrest, as he himself had requested the house arrest.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) informed the court that Navlakha, who was arrested in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, is obligated to pay this amount, as per a report by NDTV.

The court emphasised that since Navlakha had requested house arrest, he must fulfil the associated liabilities. The NIA stated that Rs 1.64 crore is outstanding, and the 70-year-old activist must make this payment for the security provided during his house arrest.

The NIA's counsel highlighted the "unusual" nature of the house arrest order, noting that a large number of police personnel had been deployed around-the-clock for Navlakha's security. While Navlakha's counsel did not dispute the payment per se, they raised concerns about the calculation of the amount owed.

The NIA argued that Navlakha had previously made payments exceeding Rs 10 lakh but was now avoiding further payments. Navlakha's counsel, however, denied any intent to avoid payment and stated that the NIA's appeal against the Bombay High Court's order granting bail to Navlakha also needed to be considered.

The Supreme Court extended the stay on the high court's bail order and scheduled the matter for further hearing on 23 April. The NIA emphasised that regardless of the bail decision, Navlakha must pay for the expenses incurred during his house arrest, as he had initially requested this arrangement citing health reasons.

The Elgar Parishad case pertains to alleged inflammatory speeches made during a gathering in Pune on 31 December 2017, which authorities claim led to violence near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial the following day.