Bhima Koregaon: After CJI, another judge recuses himself from hearing Gautam Navlakha's plea

After Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, another judge of the Supreme Court on Tuesday recused himself from hearing the petition filed by activist Gautam Navlakha seeking quashing of FIR against him in Bhima Koregaon case.

Justice B R Gavai rescued himself and transferred the case to another bench of the apex court.

Chief Justice Gogoi had recused himself from hearing the case on Monday.

A bench headed by Justice N V Ramana said that the matter will now be heard on October 3.

The Bombay High Court had on September 13 rejected Navlakha's petition, following which he challenged it in the top court.

The Maharashtra government has also filed a caveat petition in the matter seeking to be heard before any orders are passed by the apex court.

The Pune Police had earlier submitted before the High Court that Navlakha was in touch with Kashmiri separatists and people linked to the terrorist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen.

On January 1 in 2018, violence had erupted at Bhima-Koregaon battle, leaving one dead and several injured, including 10 policemen.

The police had filed 58 cases against 162 people during a state-wide shutdown in January following clashes in Bhima-Koregaon.

Later that year, they filed a charge sheet against ten people. The charge sheet further states that a letter recovered from one of the arrested accused revealed that a conspiracy was being framed to plan a Rajiv Gandhi like assassination to take down Prime Minister Narendra Modi.