Master Stroke: SC declines SIT probe, says activists' arrest not for dissent

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere in the arrest in August of five rights activists, accused of having links with Maoists, and also declined to set up an SIT, allowing the Pune police to go ahead with its probe in the Bhima-Koregaon case.

However, the house arrest of five activists -- Sudha Bhardwaj, Varavara Rao, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira -- will continue for four more weeks, the court said in a 2:1 majority judgment, read out by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar also on behalf of Chief Justice Dipak Misra. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud gave a dissenting judgment.