Elgar Parishad case: Gautam Navlakha shifted from Delhi to Taloja prison

Civil rights activist Gautam Navlakha, arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, was shifted to Taloja jail from Delhi on Tuesday. He will be kept under

Civil rights activist Gautam Navlakha, arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, was shifted to Taloja jail from Delhi on Tuesday. He will be kept under quarantine before being moved to the prison.

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Navlakha was taken into custody by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) on April 14 after he surrendered before the agency in Delhi. However, due to the lockdown, he could not be brought to Mumbai, where the case is being probed.

After almost a month, the government relaxed the rules of travel, allowing Navlakha to be brought to the city. He was produced before the special NIA court in Mumbai on Tuesday, following which he was taken to Taloja jail. He has been remanded in judicial custody till June 22.

“We will follow the protocol for any new admission. As per the procedure, he will be sent to the quarantine centre at Gokhale High School in Taloja,” said SH Kurlekar, superintendent of police, Taloja jail. Navlakha will be kept under quarantine for 14 days.

Meanwhile, his partner Sahba Husain alleged mischief behind Navlakha’s transfer from Delhi to Mumbai. She claimed that a plea for interim bail for Navlakha was scheduled for hearing on Wednesday, and just before that he was taken to Mumbai without intimating his family or legal team.

It was only after seeking permission from the court that Navlakha could call her.

Navlakha, along with other activists, has been arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly having Maoist links and being involved in the Elgar Parishad gathering on December 31, 2017, which triggered caste-based violence at Koregaon Bhima in Pune the next day.