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Month: December 2018

Report: Free Speech in India 2018: The State Rolls On

Report: Free Speech in India 2018: The State Rolls On

FreeSpeechCollective / By the FreeSpeechCollective

The range of curbs on free speech, with unreasonable and often illegal clampdowns from various quarters – the State, both at the Centre and respective state governments; non-state actors and vigilante groups; corporations and industrialists, provides a glimpse of the challenges ahead as India heads into a national election that promises to be one of the most fiercely contested amid an increasingly polarised polity.

Table of Contents
I Killings of journalists
II Attacks
III Detention and Arrests
IV Threats
V Censorship
VI Online Media: Arrests, Shutdowns and Regulation
VII Defamation suits
VIII Contempt of court
IX Sedition
X Privacy and Surveillance
XI Government Control, Policy and Regulation XII Judicial orders
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4 Reliance Workers, First to be Falsely Implicated under UAPA for Bhima Koregaon Violence, Released on Bail

4 Reliance Workers, First to be Falsely Implicated under UAPA for Bhima Koregaon Violence, Released on Bail

Peoples Union of Democratic Rights / By PUDR

Press Release
PUDR welcomes the release on bail of four workers of Reliance Energy/ Infrastructure Ltd. (REIL) and trade union activists implicated under numerous sections of the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for alleged Maoist links. The workers were released today on default bail after the 17 December order of the Bombay High Court setting aside the extension of time granted to ATS Mumbai to file the chargesheet in April 2018. Months before 6 June and 28 August, when 10 rights activists were arrested under UAPA on fabricated connections to the Bhima Koregaon violence, workers at RIEL were the first to be targeted for alleged ‘Maoist’ links at Elgaar Parishad.
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Strangers in our midst

Strangers in our midst

Indian Express / By Satish Deshpande

The decisive question for democracy in India: How should it deal with citizens who think differently and are annoying or inconvenient to ‘us’?
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Bombay HC Rejects Activist Anand Teltumbde’s Plea to Quash FIR

Bombay HC Rejects Activist Anand Teltumbde’s Plea to Quash FIR

CNN-News18 / By Radhika Ramaswamy

Teltumbde had moved a petition before the court, seeking quashing of the FIR.
The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed activist Anand Teltumbde’s plea seeking quashing of FIR against him in the Bhima Koregaon case. The court, however, granted him protection from arrest for three more weeks.
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Bombay HC paves way for former Reliance workers to get bail

Bombay HC paves way for former Reliance workers to get bail

Sabrang / By Sushmita

Exactly 11 months after workers of Reliance industries were arrested on charges of UAPA and for their alleged connection to BhimaKoregaon case, the Bombay High Court, has, on December 17, has set aside a Sessions Court order granting extension of time beyond 90 days period for filing charge sheet. This will now make it a little bit easier to approach the courts for bail.
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Activist blames Bhide for Bhima Koregaon violence

Activist blames Bhide for Bhima Koregaon violence

Mumbai Mirror / By Shruti Ganapatye

An activist has presented proof of what she claims is Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide’s complicity in the violence at Bhima Koregaon on January 1 this year to the panel probing the incident. The commission, led by former Calcutta High Court chief justice JN Patel and state Chief Information Commissioner Sumit Mullick, resumed hearings in the matter in Mumbai on Monday.
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Activist urges HC to quash FIR

Activist urges HC to quash FIR

Times of India / By PTI

MUMBAI: Civil rights activist Anand Teltumbde, named an accused by the Pune Police in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon, Monday denied all charges against him, urging the Bombay court to quash the FIR against him.
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