Elgar Parishad case: Supreme Court grants bail to Gautam Navlakha

The Supreme Court granted bail to activist Gautam Navlakha in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.

The Supreme Court on May 14 granted bail to activist Gautam Navlakha in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.

A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and S.V.N. Bhatti refused to extend the stay imposed by the Bombay High Court order on the bail granted to Navlakha in the case.

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It also directed Navlakha to pay ₹20 lakh towards expenses for security in house arrest.

"We are inclined to not extend the stay as high court order is detailed in granting bail. Trial would take years and years and years for completion. Without going at length into contentions, we will not extend the stay. A sum of Rs 20 lakh to be paid to the opposite party as earliest," the bench said.

The top court noted that Navlakha has been in jail for over four years and charges are yet to be framed in the case.

The Bombay High Court had on December 19 last year granted bail to Navlakha but stayed its order for three weeks after the NIA sought time to file an appeal in the top court.