Can't allow phone access to jailed activist as he faces terrorism charges: Govt

The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court on Wednesday that it could not allow activist Gautam Navlakha to make phone calls from prison since he was facing charges of terrorismNavlakha is an accused in the Elgar ParishadMaoist links caseThe states counsel Sangeeta Shinde placed before a bench led by Justice Nitin Jamdar a resolution that the Maharashtra government had issued on March 25 this year imposing such prohibitionAs per the resolution signed by state Inspector General of Police a coin box facility for inmates to make phone calls is available in prisons including the Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai where Navlakha and others accused in the case are lodged as undertrialsAlso Read And she waits for Gautam NavlakhaHowever the resolution lists 10 categories of undertrials and convicts that cannot be granted access to the coin box facility The first of these 10 categories is of those undertrials who face charges of terrorism or conspiring against the nation state and the governmentAs per the National Investigation Agencys NIA charge sheet filed in the Elgar Parishad case Navlakha and his coaccused were part of a banned terrorist organisation or such outfits that acted as a front for banned organisationsThe charge sheet also claims that Navlakha and his coaccused conspired to overthrow the Union governmentShinde submitted the resolution in response to Navlakhas appeal field through his counsel Yug Mohit Chaudhary seeking that he be permitted to make phone and video calls while in prisonHe said in his plea that the video call VC facilities had been extended to all inmates during the last two years because of the Covid19 pandemic protocolBut now that physical meetings have resumed in prisons across the state the VC facility has been withdrawn he saidNavlakha said his partner was a senior citizen and lived in Delhi and it was not possible for her to visit him often in the prisonChaudhary also argued on Wednesday that denying phone call access to Navlakha was a breach of his fundamental right to lifeBut Shinde argued that the state prison manual only prescribed making available reasonable facilities for communication to inmatesWhat is the hurry in this matter anyway Shinde askedHe Navlakha has the option of writing letters and physical meetings are also allowed for all inmates she said The HC will hear the matter further on August 2The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave held at Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31 2017 which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the KoregaonBhima war memorial located on the citys outskirtsThe Pune police claimed the conclave was backed by MaoistsThe NIA later took over probe into the caseThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever