SC to hear plea against arrest of five left-wing activists today

The Supreme Court will hear later on Wednesday a plea by well-known historian Romila Thapar and activist Maja Daruwala on the arrest of five left-wing activists and a lawyer on Tuesday for their alleged naxal links.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said it would hear the matter at 3.45 p.m. after counsel Prashant Bhushan appearing for Thapar, Daruwala and three other activists mentioned the matter for an urgent hearing.

Maharashtra Police had arrested five left-wing activists -- Sudha Bhardwaj, Varavara Rao, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves, and Arun Ferreira -- on Monday.

Police had also raided the houses of tribal rights activist Stan Swamy and Anand Teltumbde, a management professional and civil rights activist, and others.