NIA court permits ED to question Gautam Navlakha in Newsclick case

The agency wants to interrogate Navlakha in its money laundering probe against “Newsclick,” a news website.

A special NIA court has allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to record the statement of human rights activist Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case, at Taloja Jail from Wednesday to Friday.

Gautam Navlakha, is among several activists arrested in connection with Elgar Parishad, a conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017. Pune Police had claimed that inflammatory speeches at the event triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial. (HT PHOTO.)

The agency approached the special court last week with a request to record the statement of Navlakha under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (Powers of authorities regarding summons, production of documents and to give evidence, etc).

When the court questioned the investigation agency whether it was intending to arrest Navlakha, the agency told the court initially it was just intending to record his statement, but later it clarified that it would arrest Navlakha, if necessary, and they could take the decision accordingly.

The agency told the court that it had on March 24, 2021, registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against the accused and therefore it was necessary to examine him and record his statement.

After which special NIA judge Dinesh E Kothalikar then allowed the plea of the Enforcement Directorate.

The court allowed Deputy Director, Rakesh Ranjan Kumar, Deepak Kumar and his team to interrogate Navlakha and record his statement in Taloja prison in the presence of prison authorities from 23rd to 25th of February, 2022.

The judge also directed the superintendent Taloja prison to co-operate with the officers and make arrangements for the same.

The agency wants to interrogate Navlakha in its money laundering probe against “Newsclick,” a news website.

Following a FIR by Delhi police EOW against Newsclick, the ED registered a money laundering case against the portal in connection with suspicious foreign funding.

The agency had even raided the website’s office and properties of its promoters in New Delhi last year in February 2021.

Navlakha is among several activists arrested in connection with Elgar Parishad, a conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017. Pune Police had claimed that inflammatory speeches at the event triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial, and the conclave had been backed by Maoists.