Bhima-Koregaon case | Supreme Court to deliver verdict on house arrest of 5 accused

The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce on Friday its verdict on a plea by historian Romila Thapar and others seeking the immediate release of five accused in connection with the Koregaon-Bhima violence case and an SIT probe into their arrest.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra had reserved the judgment on September 20 after counsel for both parties, including senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Harish Salve and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, concluded their submissions.

The bench, that also comprised Justices A M Khaniwlkar and D Y Chandrachud, had asked the Maharashtra police to file their case diary pertaining to the ongoing investigation in the case.

The five accused --Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha-- are under house arrest at their respective homes since August 29.

READ | Supreme Court To Look At Material Against 5 Accused In Urban Naxal Case

On September 17, the Central Govt, for the first time stated its position in top court in the case of the 5 accused who are suspected of having Maoist links. ASG Maninder Singh told the Top Court “A Peculiar problem has risen. Naxalism is a problem in the country''. He added that the 5 accused have options to approach the lower court.

Supporting him, Tushar Mehta, a senior lawyer appearing for Maharashtra government said:

Prior to this, on September 6, the apex court also extended the house arrest of the 5 accused persons, who were detained after the pan-India raids conducted by Pune police. The Supreme Court also pulled up Pune police for casting aspersions on the court. Justice DY Chandrachud while slamming the Pune police, said, “ACP Pune insinuated that Supreme Court shouldn’t intervene, he has no business telling that

READ | Supreme Court Extends House Arrest Of 5 Accused Till September 12

The Supreme Court, on August 29, had put the 5 persons detained by the Pune police under house arrest till September 6.

The recent detentions following the multi-city raids, namely of Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha and Arun Ferreira, by the Pune police were said to be the outcome of the arrests made by the Pune police in June, and the information ascertained from them.

Earlier in June, Pune police had arrested Rona Wilson, along with Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut and Rana Jacob in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence. After the arrests, the police had recovered a letter containing the plan of a Rajiv Gandhi type assassination plot for Prime Minister Modi, from Wilson’s laptop.

READ | Secret Pune Police Note Confirms ‘Kill Modi’ Plot