Fri Jun 20 05:24:32 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

A special NIA court in Mumbai has denied activist Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, permission to relocate to Delhi. Navlakha, who is currently out on bail with the condition of remaining in Mumbai, cited financial difficulties and family issues as reasons for wanting to move back to Delhi. The court rejected his plea, stating that allowing him to permanently reside outside the court’s jurisdiction was significantly different from granting permission to travel. Navlakha, 72, was arrested in April 2020 in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, which alleges inflammatory speeches made at a 2017 conclave incited caste violence near Pune.

**News Article:**

**Mumbai Court Denies Activist Gautam Navlakha Permission to Move to Delhi**

**Mumbai, June 20, 2025** – A special NIA court in Mumbai has rejected a plea by activist Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, to relocate to Delhi. The decision, delivered on Thursday, leaves the 72-year-old Navlakha bound to Mumbai as a condition of his bail, granted by the Supreme Court in May 2024.

Navlakha, who was arrested in April 2020, argued that he was struggling to sustain himself in Mumbai due to financial difficulties, including finding affordable housing and meeting legal expenses. He also cited family reasons, including the ill-health of his sister.

In its ruling, the special judge, Chakor Bhaviskar, stated that allowing Navlakha to permanently reside outside the court’s jurisdiction differed significantly from permitting travel and that the Bombay High Court hadn’t granted Navlakha the permission to reside outside Mumbai. “This unnecessary application deserves to be rejected,” the court stated.

The Elgar Parishad case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at a 2017 conclave in Pune, which police claim were backed by Maoists and incited caste violence near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial. Sixteen activists were arrested in the case, which was later taken over by the NIA. Most are currently out on bail. The court’s decision ensures Navlakha remains under its jurisdiction as legal proceedings continue.

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