The Supreme Court on September 12, 2018, has extended the house arrest of five rights activists who were arrested in connection with the Koregaon-Bhima violence case till September 17.
A Bench comprising of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud adjourned the hearing on the plea filed by historian Romila Thapar and four others to September 17, 2018, after it was submitted that senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is representing the petitioners, was busy in another court.
The court was hearing the plea filed against the arrest of the rights activists - Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha.
Earlier, on August 28, 2018, the Maharashtra police had arrested the five activists in connection with an FIR lodged following a conclave 'Elgaar Parishad' that was held on December 31, 2017, that had later triggered violence at Koregaon-Bhima village.
On August 29, 2018, the apex court ordered the house arrest of the activists, saying "dissent is the safety valve of democracy".
