NIA opposes Gautam Navlakha bail plea in Bombay High Court

Mumbai August 8 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday opposed the bail plea of human rights activist Gautam Navlakha, accused in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case, on the grounds that prima facie materials were available against him and he was an important part of the Urban Naxal Movement to arrange for the logistics of the Naxalites operating in rural areas.

Arguing for the NIA before the Bombay High Court, Additional Solicitor General Devang Vyas said the urban naxal wing was a “complementary part” of the armed rural naxal movement because it arranged logistics like manpower and funds.

“Urban (Naxal) movement is one of the main sources as it handles cadres to arrange logistics. Urban movement is complimentary to rural armed struggle. One cannot have a mass urban movement (like rural naxal movement) but it arranges logistics to give the belief as wide publicity as possible,” the ASG said.

Advocate Yug Mohit Chaudhary, appearing for Navlakha, argued that a basic requirement for charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) was violence along with terrorism, association or conspiracy. He contended that without violence, the sections under UAPA could not be charged in the case.

The arguments will continue in the coming few days.