Elgar Parishad case: Bombay HC asks NIA to respond to Surendra Gadling’s petition against probe transfer

The Bombay high court (HC) has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file an affidavit in response to the objection raised by Elgar Parishad accused advocate Surendra Gadling against the transfer of investigation into the case from Pune Police to NIA.

Advocate Satish Talekar told a division bench of justice RD Dhanuka and justice VG Bisht that the petition challenged the move as the transfer was done after the Pune Police had filed the charge sheet and additional charge sheet. NIA’s advocate Sandesh Patil informed the court that he was not in a position to argue as he did not have a copy of the petition and hence needed two weeks. However, Talekar opposed it and submitted that Gadling had lost his mother last week, but due to the pendency of the current petition, the special NIA court was not hearing his application for interim bail and hence NIA should not be allowed two weeks.

The court directed Talekar to serve a copy of the petition to NIA and directed NIA to file a reply within a week and posted the matter for hearing on September 8.