Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case accused Gautam Navlakha’s partner Sahba Husain on Thursday expressed happiness over the Supreme Court order allowing him to be placed under house arrest for one month.
The 70-year-old activist has been lodged at Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai following his arrest in August 2018.
The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Navlakha’s request for house arrest, saying that prima facie there was no reason to reject his medical report.
A bench of Justices K.M. Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy also said the house arrest order should be implemented within 48 hours.
Speaking to PTI, Husain said: “We are happy even if it is for a month. The order says he will have to be in Mumbai. We have seen certain places... but we are yet to zero in. We have to make arrangements now.”
In October 2021, Navlakha was shifted to the “anda cell” (high-security barracks) and has been kept in solitary confinement since then, Husain had claimed at that time.
The Supreme Court, in its order, also directed Navlakha to deposit Rs 2.4 lakh, the estimated amount which the National Investigation Agency (NIA) claims as expense for making available police personnel.
The apex court said Navlakha would not be allowed to use a computer and Internet during his month-long house arrest.