SC to hear plea of Gautam Navlakha and NIA today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court agreed to list for hearing on Friday a fresh plea of activist Gautam Navlakha, who has not been put under house arrest despite the apex court's direction in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case.

A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Thursday took note of the submissions of senior lawyer Nitya Ramakrishnan, appearing for Navlakha, that the apex court's November 10 direction to shift him from Navi Mumbai's Taloja prison to house arrest owing to his deteriorating health has not been compiled with so far.

Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the NIA, said the accused, instead of giving the address of his house, has given the address of the library-cum-office of the Communist Party and moreover, a separate plea would also be filed during the day.

"The Communist Party, in any case, is not a banned organisation," Ramakrishnan said.

The SG said the probe agency was also in the process of filing an application and both the pleas can be listed together.

The CJI suggested that the plea of Navlakha be listed on Friday and the probe agency can mention its application before the bench.

The law officer, referring to some facts of the case, said both the applications needed to be heard together on Friday. The submissions were allowed.

On November 15, the top court cleared the hurdle for the release of Navlakha from Navi Mumbai's Taloja prison by waiving the requirement of a solvency certificate for availing the benefit of house arrest.

Prior to this, the top court had on November 10 allowed Navlakha to be placed under house arrest owing to his deteriorating health.