Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 20: In a significant development in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, a special NIA court in Mumbai has denied activist Gautam Navlakha permission to permanently shift his residence to Delhi, citing strict bail conditions and jurisdictional limitations.

The ruling was delivered by Special Judge Chakor Bhaviskar, who emphasized that there is a legal distinction between granting permission to travel outside the court’s jurisdiction and allowing an accused to reside permanently beyond it. “The Bombay High Court, while framing bail conditions, did not grant such liberty. Hence, this unnecessary application deserves to be rejected,” the court observed.

Navlakha, 72, originally a Delhi resident, was arrested in April 2020 in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, which alleged Maoist links with several activists and intellectuals. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court in May 2024, with a strict condition prohibiting him from leaving Mumbai without court permission. Since then, Navlakha has been living in Mumbai with his partner.

In April this year, citing difficulty in sustaining a stable lifestyle in Mumbai, Navlakha moved a plea seeking permission to relocate to Delhi, his hometown. However, the court maintained that the request was inconsistent with the terms of his bail and could not be permitted.

Navlakha’s legal troubles stem from alleged involvement in a conspiracy to incite violence during the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune in December 2017, a case being closely monitored by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

With this decision, the court has reinforced the boundaries of judicial discretion within bail terms, making it clear that any relaxation would require higher judicial intervention or fresh legal avenues.