Gautam Navlakha Ordered to Pay Rs 1.64 Crore Security Bill: You Asked, You Pay

Gautam Navlakha has been under house arrest at a public library in Mumbai since November 2022, due to his arrest in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has stated that he is required to make a payment of Rs 1.64 crore towards expenses for security. The bench of justices M M Sundresh and S V N Bhatti directed Mr Navlakha’s counsel to pay the amount, emphasizing that the liability cannot be escaped since the house arrest was requested. The NIA’s representative, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, highlighted the unusual nature of the house arrest order and the substantial police presence required for Mr Navlakha’s security.

The issue about the payment was raised, with Mr Navlakha’s counsel stating no difficulty in paying but contesting the calculation. The ASG claimed that Mr Navlakha had already paid over Rs 10 lakh and was now avoiding further payment, which Mr Navlakha’s counsel denied. The NIA had challenged the order of the Bombay High Court granting bail to Mr Navlakha. The high court had initially granted him bail but stayed its order for three weeks, during which the NIA sought time to file an appeal in the top court.

The top court then extended the stay on the high court’s order. The ASG emphasized that regardless of the bail decision, Mr Navlakha was obligated to make the payment for the security expenses. The bench granted one week for Mr Navlakha’s counsel to review the calculation before the next hearing scheduled for April 23. The interim stay on the January 5 order was to continue, following the dispute between Mr Navlakha’s lawyer and the ASG over the security expense figures.

The reporting points out that the case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave in 2017. The story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.