The Bombay High Court has relaxed the bail conditions imposed on Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Elgar Parishad–Bhima Koregaon case, permitting him to relocate from Mumbai to Delhi.

A Division Bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Shyam Chandak considered Navlakha’s plea stating that he was facing financial difficulty in continuing to reside in Mumbai and sought permission to return to his permanent residence in Delhi. One of the existing bail conditions required him to remain in Mumbai unless prior permission was granted by the Special Court.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the NIA, placed on record a set of revised conditions to regulate Navlakha’s stay in Delhi. These included depositing his passport, not leaving Delhi without the permission of the Special Court in Mumbai, reporting to the local police station every Saturday, and appearing before the Special Court in Mumbai whenever directed.

Taking note of these proposed safeguards, the Bench observed that appropriate orders permitting relocation would be passed.

Appearing for Navlakha, Advocate Yug Chaudhary submitted that the 73-year-old accused has been living away from his family in Mumbai for nearly two years and that continuing to stay there has become economically unviable. It was further assured that Navlakha would comply with all conditions and attend proceedings, including appearing before the NIA office in Delhi when required.

Opposing the plea, the NIA argued that granting such relief could set an undesirable precedent, as several other accused in the case are also non-residents of Mumbai and may seek similar permissions.

However, the Bench noted that Navlakha may be experiencing a sense of dislocation from his family, social environment, and support system, and expressed its inclination to allow the request subject to strict conditions.