Elgar Parishad: Navalakha's house arrest plea listed for Friday

New Delhi: Supreme Court has agreed to list a new petition on Friday, questioning Elgar Parishad-Maoist-link accused activist Gautam Navlakha still has not been sent to house arrest as per its earlier order.

The submissions made by a senior lawyer Nitya Ramakrishnan, appearing for Gautam Navlakha, pointed out that a November 10 order to shift Navlakha from Navi Mumbai's Taloja prison to house arrest due to his deteriorating health has not been implemented so far.

Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the NIA, said the accused, instead of giving the address of his house, has given the address of the library-cum-office of the Communist Party and moreover, a separate plea would also be filed during the day.

Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the NIA, reasoned that the accused produced the address of the library-cum-office of the Communist Party instead of his own house. But Ramakrishnan argued that the Communist Party is no banned organization.

On November 15, the top court cleared the hurdle for the release of Gautam Navlakha from Navi Mumbai's Taloja prison by waiving the requirement of a solvency certificate for availing the benefit of house arrest. Prior to this, the top court had on November 10 allowed the 70-year-old Navlakha to be placed under house arrest owing to his deteriorating health. The court noted that prima facie, there was no reason to reject his medical report.

However, putting a number of conditions, they had said Gautam Navlakha would not be allowed to use a computer and the Internet during his house arrest.

Television and newspapers will be allowed, but these cannot be Internet-based, it had said.