‘No Material’ to Demonstrate Terror Link, Yet Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferriera Spent 5 Years in Jail [Read judgment]

29/07/2023

The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha

It took five-full years of incarceration and several rejections of bail applications before both the trial court and the high court before the Supreme Court finally could notice that the country’s premier investigating agency, the National Investigations Agency (NIA), has shown no evidence to keep two men in their custody.
The Supreme Court on Friday, July 28, in a detailed 54-page bail order observed that human rights defenders Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferriera were both held in jail even when “no material has been demonstrated by the NIA before us that the appellants are members of the terrorist organisation”.
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Mere Possession Of Extremist Literature Not ‘Terrorist Activity’ Under UAPA; No ‘Credible Evidence’ Against Vernon & Arun: Supreme Court [Read judgment]

29/07/2023

Live Law / by Awstika Das

Mere possession of literature even if it inspires or propagates violence by itself would neither amount to a ‘terrorist act’ within the meaning of Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2002, nor any other offences under Chapters IV and VI of the Act, the Supreme Court of India held while granting bail to Bhima Koregaon-accused and activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira. This verdict was delivered yesterday by a bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia.
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No evidence against Gonsalves, Ferreira; mere possession of violent literature not terrorist Act: Supreme Court [Read judgment]

28/07/2023

Bar & Bench / by Debayan Roy

The Court noted that there was no evidence of Gonsalves and Ferreira committing any terrorist act that would attract the stringent provisions against grant of bail under the UAPA.
Mere possession of literature through which violent acts may be propagated will not fall within the scope of ‘terrorist act’ under Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Supreme Court said while granting bail to Bhima Koregaon violence accused Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira on Friday [Vernon v. State of Maharashtra].
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Mere possession of certain literature is not ‘terrorist act’ under UAPA, says Supreme Court

29/07/2023

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia made the observation while granting bail to Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in the Bhima Koregaon case.
Merely possessing certain literature which might be used to propagate violent actions cannot be charged as a “terrorist act” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Supreme Court said on Friday, reported Bar and Bench.
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Also read:
● Supreme Court grants bail to Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, with tethers (The Leaflet / July 28, 2023)
● Why the Bombay High Court granted regular bail to Dr. Anand Teltumbde: An explainer (The Leaflet / Dec 2022)