The Supreme Court today granted bail to activist Gautam Navlakha in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.
A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and SVN Bhatti refused to extend the stay imposed by the Bombay High Court order on the bail granted to Mr Navlakha in the case.
It also directed Mr Navlakha to pay Rs 20 lakh towards expenses for security in house arrest.
"We are inclined to not extend the stay as high court order is detailed in granting bail. Trial would take years and years and years for completion. Without going at length into contentions, we will not extend the stay. A sum of Rs 20 lakh to be paid to the opposite party as earliest," the bench said.
The top court noted that Mr Navlakha has been in jail for over four years and charges are yet to be framed in the case.
The Bombay High Court had on December 19 last year granted bail to Mr Navlakha but stayed its order for three weeks after the NIA sought time to file an appeal in the top court.
Gautam Navlakha, who was arrested in August 2018, was in November last year permitted by the Supreme Court to be placed under house arrest. He is currently residing in Navi Mumbai.
The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which police claim triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.
Sixteen activists have been arrested in the case and five of them are currently out on bail.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
"You Asked, You Pay": Gautam Navlakha To Pay Rs 1.64 Crore Security Bill Supreme Court Grants Bail To Activist In Elgar Parishad-Maoist Links Case Activist Gautam Navlakha Owes Rs 1.64 Crore For House Arrest Security: Anti-Terror Agency 3 Dead, Over 30 Cops Injured: Violence In UP's Sambhal Over Mosque Survey Car, Misled By GPS, Falls Into River From Under-Construction Bridge, 3 Dead Autopsy Reveals Chilling Details Of Family Kidnapped, Killed In Manipur "Need To Bring This To Responsible End": Key Trump Pick Over War In Ukraine Delhi University To Host Placement And Internship Fair On December 4 and 5 Delhi's Air Quality Improves Slightly, Still In 'Very Poor' Category Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.