Mumbai: The Bombay high court has refused to give immediate relief to Vernon Gonsalves, an accused in the Bhima-Koregaon violence case. Mr Gonsalves had challenged the extension given by the district court to the police to file a charge sheet in the case. The HC has directed the state to file a reply by April 9.
Justices B.P. Dharmadh-ikari and Revati Mohite-Dere were hearing a petition filed by Mr Gonsalves. The state government has vehemently opposed the petition, and brought to the notice of the court that there are two more accused who have approached the Bombay high court.
One of them received relief from the HC but the Supreme Court quashed the order granting relief. The state also said that Mr Gonsalves’ bail application is pending before another bench of the HC.
Assistant public prosecutor Aruna Pai Kamat submitted that the police has enough material to prove its case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. She also informed the court that certain material has been recovered from another activist Rona Wilson’s laptop, which is similar to the material recovered from Gautam Navlakha’s laptop.
Mr Gonsalves, Mr Navlakha, Veravara Rao, social activist Arun Ferr-eira, Sudha Bharadwaj and professor Anand Teltumbde have been made the accused in the Bhima-Koregaon riots in Pune. Initially, the Supr-eme Court directed the state government to keep them under house arrest.
