SC Rejects Romila Thapar’s Review Plea for Activists’ Release

The plea sought a review of the SC verdict which refused the release of activists held in the Bhima Koregaon case.

Photo of Supreme Court used for representation. 

(Photo: Reuters)

The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea filed by historian Romila Thapar seeking a review of the 28 September majority verdict by which the apex court had refused immediate release of five rights activists held in connection with the Koregaon-Bhima violence case.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud dismissed the plea on 26 October. The order was uploaded on Saturday, 27 October.

“We have perused the review petition as well as the grounds in support thereof. In our opinion, no case for review of judgment dated September 28, 2018 is made out. The review petition is accordingly dismissed.”

SC Order

Backdrop

On 28 September, the court rejected a plea for immediate release of the five rights activists Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha arrested by the Maharashtra police on 28 August.

The activists were arrested in connection with an FIR filed following a conclave ‘Elgaar Parishad’ held on December 31 last year that had allegedly triggered violence later at Koregaon-Bhima village in Maharashtra.

They were put under house arrest on 29 August.

On 28 September, the court said the accused will remain under house arrest for four more weeks. By a majority verdict of 2:1, it had also refused to appoint a Special Investigative Team to probe their arrest.