SC to hear on November 9 Navlakha's plea seeking house arrest

The Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear on November 9 the plea of jailed activist Gautam Navlakha that he be placed under house arrest instead of judicial custody in the Elgar Parishad case.

A bench of Justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy deferred the matter after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta apprised it that he is being treated in Mumbai's Jaslok hospital.

"Parties are granted liberty to inspect the medical reports by Jaslok hospital," the bench said.

The top court on September 29 had directed the Taloja jail superintendent to immediately shift Navlakha, jailed in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case, to Mumbai's Jaslok hospital for treatment.

It had said receiving medical treatment is a fundamental right of a prisoner.

The 70-year-old activist has appealed to the apex court against the April 26 order of the Bombay High Court dismissing his plea for house arrest over apprehensions of lack of adequate medical and other basic facilities in Taloja jail near Mumbai where he is lodged.