The Delhi High Court on Monday freed Gautam Navlakha, one of the five rights activists arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon case.
The high court granted him the relief saying that the Supreme Court last week had given him the liberty to approach the appropriate forum within four weeks to seek relief, which he has availed.
The Delhi High Court also quashed the trial court’s transit remand order, which Navlakha had challenged before the matter was taken to the Supreme Court.
The court observed that Navlakha’s detention had exceeded 24 hours, which was “untenable”.
The court also refused the request of Maharashtra Police Counsel to continue the extension of house arrest of Navlakha for at least 2 more days.
The Maharashtra police had arrested the five activists on August 28 in connection with an FIR lodged following a conclave — ‘Elgaar Parishad’ — held on December 31 last year that had later triggered violence at Koregaon-Bhima village in the state.
The four activists who are still under house arrest are Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Sudha Bharadwaj.
The Supreme Court had earlier on September 28, refused probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the house arrest of five activists.
The activists are under arrest at their respective homes since August 29.