Bhima Koregaon: 5th judge recuses from hearing Gautam Navlakha's plea

In a major development, a fifth Supreme Court (SC) judge has on Thursday recused himself from hearing the plea filed by Gautam Navlakha seeking quashing of the FIR registered against him in the Bhima Koregaon case. Justice Ravindra Bhat is the fifth SC judge to recuse himself from hearing the Navlakha's plea The case has been listed for further hearing on October 4. He was on the bench during the hearing in the case on Thursday with Justices Arun Mishra and Vineet Saran. 

This development has come days after Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi recused himself from the case. After CJI recused himself from hearing the case, the matter was placed before the SC bench including Justices R Subhash Reddy, NV Ramana and BR Gavai. However, all three of them also recused themselves. With Navalakha interim protection from arrest which was granted by the Bombay High Court ending on Friday, his plea has been listed from hearing on Friday before another bench. 

READ | CJI recuses self from hearing Gautam Navlakha's plea against Bombay HC

Maharashtra govt files caveat

Earlier in September, the Maharashtra government had filed a caveat in the matter seeking to be heard before any orders are passed. Navlakha along with Sudha Bhardwaj, Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, and Arun Ferreira are accused in the 2017 Bhima-Koregaon case and for having alleged Maoist links. On September 13, the high court had refused to quash the FIR lodged against Navlakha in the case, noting that there was prima facie substance in the case. The high court had emphasised on a thorough investigation in the case, highlighting the "magnitude of the case".

READ | Bhima-Koregaon case: Bombay HC refuses to quash Gautam Navlakha's case

Bhima Koregaon case

The high court had however extended protection from arrest to Navlakha for a period of three weeks to enable him to approach the top court to file an appeal against the order. In January 2018, the Pune Police lodged an FIR against Navlakha and others after the Elgar Parishad held on December 31, 2017, that had allegedly triggered violence at Koregaon Bhima in Pune district the next day. Gautam Navlakha and the four others were accused have booked under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Sections 121, 121(a) and 124 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), amounting to sedition, waging a war against the State, and conspiring to commit certain offences against the State

READ | Maharashtra Govt files caveat plea in SC against Gautam Navlakha

READ | Gautam Navlakha, Naxals were in contact with Hizbul Mujahideen, Kashmiri separatists: Pune police

(With PTI inputs)