Bombay HC bench backs out in Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case

Mumbai: A two-judge bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday recused itself from hearing the bail plea of Delhi University's associate professor Hany Babu and the plea of Gautam Navlakha, both accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, without citing any reason.

The bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and VG Bisht was hearing the bail plea of Babu in which he stated that the purported letter cited by the National Investigating Agency (NIA), speaking of a conspiracy to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi, did not incriminate him. Babu said the unsigned letter, which the NIA claimed was found on the computer of Babu's co-accused Rona Wilson, was neither written by him nor addressed to him.

It did not mention his role in the alleged conspiracy, Babu stated. His plea, filed through counsels Yug Chaudhry and Payoshi Roy, was mentioned before a vacation bench of the high court last month.

At that time, the vacation bench directed that the plea be heard by a regular bench of the high court. On Wednesday, when Babu's plea came up before a bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and VG Bisht, the bench recused itself from hearing it without citing any reason.

Justice Mohite-Dere also recused herself from hearing a plea filed by Navlakha, who has sought, among other things, access to telephone calls at the Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai, where he is currently lodged as an undertrial. Navlakha, 71, has been lodged inside the high security 'anda cell' of the Taloja prison since October last year.