<p style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10pt;">The Supreme Court today refused to interfere with the arrest of five rights activists by the Maharashtra Police in connection with the Koregaon-Bhima violence case and also declined to appoint a SIT for a probe into their arrest. </span></p> <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in a 2:1 verdict, refused the plea seeking the immediate release of the activists. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The CJI said arrests were not because of dissent of activists but there was prima facie material to show their link with the banned CPI (Maoists) organisation. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Justice A M Khanwilkar said the accused persons cannot choose which investigating agency should probe the case. He said this was not a case of arrest merely because of a difference in political views.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Justice Khanwilkar read out the verdict for himself and the CJI, while Justice D Y Chandrachud said he was unable to agree with the view of the two judges. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Justice Chandrachud said the arrest of the five accused was an attempt by the state to muzzle dissent.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The majority verdict said the house arrest of the accused shall remain in force for four weeks to enable them to seek appropriate legal remedy at an appropriate legal forum. </span><br />''