Gautam Navlakha: An urban Naxalite with ISI connections
Navlakha also sought clemency for Gulam who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the charges of accepting funds from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan and the Pakistani Government. NIA has also stated that Gautam was introduced to an ISI General by Gulam for his recruitment.
Gautam Navlakha is a member of the People’s Union of Democratic Rights (PUDR) with serious charges imposed on him. Gautam Navlakha has been charged for having links with the banned Maoist terrorist organization Communist Party of India (Maoists) and being the reason for Bhima-Koregaon violence in Maharashtra in 2018.
Navlakha was placed under house arrest on April 28, 2018, for the Koregaon-Bhima case. He was released from this arrest on October 1, 2018.
On February 14, 2020, Navlakha’s case was transferred from Pune, Maharashtra to Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court in Mumbai.
On March 17, 2020, the Supreme Court (SC) refused to grant anticipatory bail to Navlakha and ordered him to surrender to Pune Police within three weeks. On April 14, 2020, Gautam Navlakha surrendered to the NIA.
In August 2021, NIA submitted draft charges to the Special Court in Mumbai consisting of Navlakha’s offences.
In April 2022, Gautam Navlakha submitted a plea to the Bombay High Court asking for a transfer to house arrest due to health issues which was rejected by the Court.
On November 10, however, SC ordered Navlakha to be placed under house arrest after which Navlakha was released from detention and placed under house arrest.
Gautam Navlakha’s range of offences lies between the links with Maoists, an internal threat to the security to links with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and Pakistan, an external threat to the country.
The charges on Gautam Navlakha include making provoking speeches during the Elgar Parishad held in Pune, Maharashtra on December 31, 2017.
Police claim that his speeches along with several others, triggered violence near the area of Koregaon-Bhima the next day. The violence resulted in the injuries of several and the death of one person.
NIA claims that Gautam Navlakha is an Urban Naxalite who helps Naxalites by bringing publicity, manpower and money. NIA has also recorded links of China, and Pakistan with Gautam Navlakha.
Claims have been made by the Agency that Navlakha visited the United States thrice to address Kashmiri American Council Conference which was organised by Gulam Nabi Fai.
Navlakha also sought clemency for Gulam who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the charges of accepting funds from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan and the Pakistani Government. NIA has also stated that Gautam was introduced to an ISI General by Gulam for his recruitment.
Gautam Navlakha is a part of Newsclick, a digital news portal recorded to have links with the neighbouring country, China. In the investigation done by Enforcement Directorate (ED), it was discovered that Newsclick has received thirty-eight crores from the CCP indirectly.
The money was routed through Neville Roy Singham, a Sri Lankan American affiliated with the CCP. This money was marked as ‘export for services’ in the books of Newsclick. Gautam Navlakha was also given a share of this money.
Gautam Navlakha has been charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Navlakha is currently under house arrest.
Report by
Mansi Dixit
She is a vibrant intern at The Narrative.
A Journalism and Mass Communication graduate, Mansi finds her creative haven in non-fiction.
