3rd SC judge recuses himself from hearing lawyer Surendra Gadling’s bail plea
21/07/2026
Hindustan Times / by Abraham Thomas
Supreme Court judge Shree Chandrashekhar on Tuesday recused himself from hearing lawyer Surendra Gadling’s bail plea in a 2016 arson case, becoming the third judge to do so in the case over the past year.
Justice PK Mishra announced the recusal when the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sought an adjournment before the matter came up for hearing before a bench comprising him and Justice Chandrashekhar. Justice Mishra said the matter had to be adjourned anyway, as Justice Chandrashekhar conveyed his inability to hear it. “This will have to go before another bench as my brother [Justice Chandrashekhar] has some difficulty.” Read more
Third Supreme Court Judge Recuses From Hearing Surendra Gadling’s Bail Plea In 2016 Gadchiroli Arson Case
21/07/2026
Live Law / by Gursimran Kaur Bakshi
The Supreme Court today (July 21) ordered that the bail plea of lawyer-activist Surendra Gadling in the 2016 Gadchiroli arson case should be heard by a bench not comprising Justice Shree Chandrashekhar.
The matter was listed before a bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Shree Chandrashekhar. At the outset, an advocate on behalf of Additional Solicitor General SV Raju (for the National Investigation Agency) sought a passover, while Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for the petitioner. However, Justice Mishra said the matter will go before another coordinate bench since Justice Chandrashekhar has some difficulty. Read more
Justice Shree Chandrashekhar recuses from hearing bail plea of Bhima Koregaon accused Surendra Gadling
21/07/2026
The Hindu / by The Hindu Bureau
This marks the third recusal by a Supreme Court judge from hearing activist Mr. Gadling’s bail plea without assigning any reason; the bail plea arises from the 2016 Surjagarh arson case; Mr. Gadling has been in Taloja Central Prison since June 2018 following his arrest in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case
Supreme Court judge Justice Shree Chandrashekhar on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) recused himself from hearing a bail petition filed by advocate and activist Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case. It is the third such recusal by a Supreme Court judge in the past year, with no reasons assigned on any of the occasions. Read more
The police response to the students’ march in Delhi raises a disturbing question. Had the police begun to resemble street goons, or had street goons been absorbed into the policing of democratic dissent?
On July 20, the long-running protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar took a dramatic turn. For nearly three weeks, an uneasy calm had prevailed around the indefinite fast of Sonam Wangchuk and three students demanding accountability for repeated examination leaks and the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The original permission to assemble had long since expired, yet, curiously, the police allowed the protest to continue, perhaps calculating that it would eventually lose momentum.
Instead, the opposite happened. Read more
The exam crisis that became a battle for accountability
21/07/2026
Sabrang India / by Sabrang India
From student grievances to Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, the movement questioned accountability, democracy and the limits of State intervention
On July 20, 2026, the streets around Delhi’s Jantar Mantar became the centre of a rapidly escalating confrontation between a student-led movement demanding accountability over alleged failures in the education system and a State determined to prevent the protest from moving towards Parliament.
… In Mumbai, the state’s restrictive approach to public assembly has turned the city into a theater of confrontation. Read more
CJP protest row: Mumbai Police book Shivaji Park organisers for unlawful assembly
20/07/2026
The Indian Express / by Express News Service
The organisers of the Shivaji Park protest are facing an FIR for ‘unlawful assembly’ as the Mumbai Police said, no permission was granted to carry out the demonstration.
… Earlier, the Mumbai Police had registered two FIRs in connection with the protests that were carried out in south Mumbai on Saturday in support of Sonam Wangchuk.The first FIR was registered at the Marine Drive police station against the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction party workers for protesting near Mantralaya, and the second against left party organisations for protesting near the Press Club. The seven people booked include Sudhir Dhawale, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case who received bail last year. Read more
Mumbai Police Register Three FIRs Over Uddhav Thackeray-Led Protest Backing Sonam Wangchuk
20/07/2026
Lokmat Times / by Lokmat Times Desk
Mumbai Police have registered three FIRs in connection with the protest led by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday in support of activist Sonam Wangchuk. According to the police, the first FIR concerns the alleged organisation of the protest without prior permission. The second relates to appeals made to the public to gather at the venue despite the lack of official approval. The third FIR was filed after students reportedly continued demonstrations at various locations in Dadar even after the main protest ended, causing major traffic congestion. Police said no arrests have been made in any of the three cases so far. Read more
Elgar Parishad accused booked for protesting in support of Sonam Wangchuk
19/07/2026
Hindustan Times / by HT Correspondent
Azad Maidan police said the protestors were booked for unlawful assembly and allowed to leave after being served notices to present themselves if required
MUMBAI: Activist and writer Sudhir Dhawale and a few others were booked by the police for protesting outside Azad Maidan on Saturday, in connection with the alleged forcible removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Dhawale is one of the accused in the Elgar Parishad case and was released on bail from the Taloja Central Jail in January 2025. Read more
CJP protest in Mumbai: How Azad Maidan became the city’s site of agitations, with restrictions
19/07/2026
The Indian Express / by Sadaf Modak
Azad Maidan as a site of protest can be traced back to a 1997 court case. Since then, several rules have been laid down on the manner of protests allowed, including weekend restrictions, a ban on hunger strikes, and the slogans that can be raised.
Mumbai-based activists and citizens have been gathering at the Azad Maidan since last week in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest being held at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, over the NEET-UG 2026 entrance examination paper leak.
On Saturday (July 18), the Mumbai Police filed two FIRs against some of the protestors, citing the Public Meetings, Agitations and Processions Rules, 2025, which prohibit protests at the maidan on weekends. Read more
SC to hear Surendra Gadling’s bail plea next week in Elgar Parishad case
17/07/2026
National Herald / by NH Digital
Advocate has spent over seven years in jail; court agrees to urgent hearing after counsel cites repeated delays
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling, an accused in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, after his counsel highlighted his prolonged incarceration and repeated delays in the proceedings. Read more
SC to hear Surendra Gadling bail plea in Elgar Parishad case next week after delays
17/07/2026
India Today / by India Today News Desk
The Supreme Court will hear advocate Surendra Gadling’s bail plea next week in the Elgar Parishad case. The listing revives a long-pending matter after repeated adjournments and years of incarceration.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling, an accused in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana gave the assurance after senior advocate Kapil Sibal sought an urgent listing, saying Gadling had been in jail for seven-and-a-half years. Read more
NIA making malicious and false allegations to delay trial: Sudha Bhardwaj
11.07.2026
Hindustan Times / by Vikrant Jha
Bharadwaj told a special court that the agency’s allegations that a gathering on January 19 at the Mumbai Press Club was convened to propagate the ideology of the banned CPI (Maoist) and further the “Urban Naxal” movement were “wholly false and malicious” and “no documents or evidence of any kind supporting these” had been supplied to her by the NIA.
Activist-lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, on Friday opposed the National Investigation Agency (NIA)’s plea seeking cancellation of her bail. Read more
Mere communication with co-accused can’t warrant bail cancellation, court told
11.07.2026
The Indian Express / by Sadaf Modak
The agency claims that they have violated a bail condition, by communicating with each other. The court will hear arguments by the lawyers of the other two accused, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira, whose bails are sought to be cancelled by the NIA on July 20.
In the Elgaar Parishad case, lawyer activist Sudha Bharadwaj told a special court on Friday that mere communication between co-accused cannot be a ground to cancel bail. The court was hearing arguments on the National Investigation Agency’s plea seeking cancellation of bail to Bharadwaj and three other accused, over a meeting at the Mumbai Press Club in January. Read more
Update by Bar & Bench (Jul 15):
Bombay High Court gave NIA one week’s time to respond to Mahesh Raut’s plea seeking leave to go to Kerala for a medical treatment.
The court indicated it would pass an order permitting the Bhima Koregaon accused to travel for about 9 days with conditions like reporting to the local police station after three days, subject to NIA’s reply.
Mahesh Raut moves Bombay High Court for permission to travel to Kerala for Ayurvedic treatment
07/07/2026
Bar & Bench / by Bar & Bench
The Bhima Koregaon accused has sought permission to visit Kerala’s Ayurvedasram for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
Mahesh Raut, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case of 2018, has moved the Bombay High Court after a special court rejected his plea to travel to Kerala for Ayurvedic treatment in January 2026. [Mahesh Raut v. NIA & Ors.] Read more
Accused Mahesh Raut Moves Bombay High Court Seeking Permission To Travel To Kerala For Treatment
07/07/2026
Live Law / by Narsi Benwal
One of the accused in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, Mahesh Raut has moved a plea before the Bombay High Court seeking permission to travel to Kerala for Ayurvedic treatment after a special NIA court turned down his plea for the same in January this year.
Raut has challenged the January 21, 2026 order of a special NIA court in the city, which had rejected his plea to travel to Poonthottam Ayurvedasram in Kerala from January 29 to February 7. He had sought to travel to the Ayurvedic Ashram for treating his rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren’s syndrome. He had urged the court to relax the condition in his bail order, which mandated him not to leave Mumbai. Read more
Surendra Gadling and Dinkar Gota, two political prisoners incarcerated at Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai, are observing a one-day hunger strike on July 5, 2026, the fifth death anniversary of the Jesuit priest and human rights activist Father Stan Swamy. The editorial introduction below is followed by the full text of the press release by Gadling and Gota on the hunger strike.
EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION
Surendra Gadling is a Nagpur-based human rights lawyer and Dalit rights activist who has spent decades defending Adivasis, Dalits, workers, and political prisoners, often on a pro bono basis. He is widely known for challenging allegations of fake encounters, custodial abuse, and violations of civil liberties. He has been imprisoned since June, 2018 in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, a prosecution that has become one of India’s most prominent civil liberties cases. Sixteen lawyers, academics, writers, artists, trade unionists, and human rights defenders were arrested in the case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Most have since been granted bail after years of incarceration, while Father Stan Swamy died in judicial custody in 2021. Gadling remains incarcerated in Taloja Central Prison awaiting trial.
Dinkar Gota is an Adivasi activist from Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, who was arrested in March, 2020 under the UAPA in connection with the Gadchiroli blast case of 2019. He has consistently maintained his innocence and is regarded by supporters as one of several Adivasi activists who have been jailed baselessly under anti-terror laws for fighting for the rights of their peoples. He is currently lodged in Taloja Central Prison.
Father Stan Swamy was a Jesuit priest and human rights activist who had dedicated his life to defending the rights of Adivasis, other marginalised communities, and political prisoners. He was arrested in October, 2020 in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, and died at the age of 84 on July 5, 2021 while in judicial custody.
FULL TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE
– Press Release for circulation –
Date: 5 July 2026
Two political prisoners, Advocate Surendra Gadling, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon–Elgar Parishad case, and Dinkar Gota, an accused in the alleged Gadchiroli attack case, lodged in Taloja Central Prison, are observing a one-day hunger strike on 5 July 2026, on the occasion of the fifth death anniversary of Father Stan Swamy.
Father Stan Swamy was a victim of institutional murder because he refused to surrender before those in power and chose to stand firmly for the rights of Adivasis, Dalits, and the marginalized and oppressed masses, until his last breath. He fearlessly raised his voice against injustice, repression, and attacks on democratic rights. This one-day hunger strike is to protest against the institutional repression that led to his death.
Father Stan Swamy’s life and struggle continues to inspire every person fighting for justice, human dignity, and democratic values. This hunger strike is a renewed pledge to ensure that his sacrifice will not go in vain, and the hunger strikers humbly appeal to democrats, human rights defenders, and all justice-seeking citizens to express solidarity in this regard.
Remembering Fr. Stan Swamy: Five Years Since His Custodial Death
08/07/2026
Countercurrents.org / by National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM)
The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) pays its deepest tribute to Fr. Stan Swamy, a steadfast companion of Adivasi struggles, defender of constitutional democracy and people’s rights.
Five years after his institutional killing in judicial custody, his life and death stand as a searing indictment of a State that wages war on those who defend the Constitution, while enabling the systematic dispossession of Adivasi communities in the interests of corporate capital.
Fr. Stan Swamy lived and worked for decades among Adivasi communities in Jharkhand, making their struggles for Jal – Jangal – Zameen, dignity, and self-rule central to his life’s work. Read more
Call for repeal of anti-terror law on Indian Jesuit’s death anniversary
07/07/2026
UCA News / by Michael Gonsalves
Father Stan Swamy died as an undertrial prisoner following his arrest for allegedly violating the anti-terror law
Activists called for the repeal of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the disbandment of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the main federal counterterrorism probe agency, during programs held on July 5.
During a public meeting at the Press Club of India in New Delhi, several activists said the death of Swamy on July 5, 2021, while he was still a prisoner, was a stark reminder of the erosion of constitutional rights and freedoms through the state machinery. Read more
Memorials across India mark 5 years since Jesuit Father Stan Swamy died in custody
07/07/2026
EWTN News / by Anto Akkara
Archbishop Vincent Aind led tributes in Ranchi and activists gathered in Mumbai to honor the priest, as his supporters press on to clear his name in the Bhima Koregaon case.
Memorial programs were held across India on July 5 to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Jesuit Father Stan Swamy, the 84-year-old tribal rights activist who died in custody at a Mumbai hospital in 2021 while awaiting trial on terrorism charges.
Archbishop Vincent Aind of Ranchi led supporters in garlanding Swamy’s bust at “Bagaicha,” meaning “garden,” the Jesuit social action center Swamy founded near Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. Read more
Picture credits: CASR / The Mooknayak
“Killed by a Bullet Named NIA”: CASR Meeting Slams Judicial System on Fr. Stan Swamy Anniversary
06/07/2026
The Mooknayak English / by Campaign Against State Repression (CASR)
Human Rights Defenders Remember Fr. Stan Swamy’s Custodial Death
On the fifth martyrdom anniversary of Jesuit priest and human rights defender Fr. Stan Swamy, the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) organised a public meeting in New Delhi. The event, themed “NIA and UAPA: Constitutional Concerns and the Suppression of Dissent”, brought together lawyers, academics, journalists, human rights defenders, and activists to reflect on his legacy and critique the use of draconian laws against democratic voices. Read more
5 Years Since Stan Swamy’s Custodial Death: No Lessons Learnt, Concerns Over UAPA Abuse Persist
05/07/2026
Live Law / by Manu Sebastian
The Courts, unfortunately, look away from the abject weaponisation of the law, and the evocations of personal liberty remain largely confined to judicial seminars.
It has been five years since the death of Father Stan Swamy, while he was under custody in the Bhima Koregaon case. We still don’t know what was the crime committed by the man, except for the hyperbolic allegations of the National Investigation Agency, over which the Courts themselves have later raised many doubts and questions while granting bail to several co-accused in the case. Read more
Picture credits: Live Law
Supreme Court’s Judgment Expanding UAPA To Make Speech ‘Terrorist Act’ Puts Political Dissent At Risk: Rebecca John
05/07/2026
Live Law / by Gursimran Kaur Bakshi
Senior Advocate Rebecca John today raised concern over the Supreme Court’s expansion of the definition of ‘terrorist act’ under Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to include speech-related offences in the Gulfisha Fatima-Delhi riots larger conspiracy case.
… John was speaking at a public meeting organised to mark the 5th death anniversary of Father Stan Swamy, who died while awaiting bail in the Bhima Koregaon case pending trial for more than six years. Read more
5 Years After Stan Swamy Died in Custody, the Struggles He Lived For Continue
05/07/2026
The Quint / by Grace Nau Backia & Edgar Kaiser
Remembering Fr Stan Swamy means remembering the Adivasi rights movement he spent his life building.
“If this makes me a ‘desh drohi,’ then so be it,” wrote Fr Stan Swamy in his email to his friends on 28 July 2019, when he came to know that he had been accused of the crime of championing the rights of Adivasis in Jharkhand. His legacy transcends time, although his voice, which rang louder against the power, has been brought to a halt.
Five years since his death, we look back at Stan’s life, the legacy he left behind, and where things stand today, with the struggles he devoted his life to. Read more
I raise my voice for Adivasis, am I a Traitor?
04/07/2026
SabrangIndia / by Stan Swamy
This piece authored by Fr Stan Swamy was originally published on Aug 01, 2018. It was then re-published on July 5, 2021 the day of his martyrdom and is now being published on July 4-5, 2026 on the fifth anniversary of his death, in lasting tribute to his work and memory.
Stan Swamy, 1 August 2018: During the past two decades, I have identified myself with the Adivasi people and their struggle for a life of dignity and self-respect. As a writer, I have tried to analyse the different issues they are facing. In this process, I have clearly expressed dissent with several policies, laws enacted by the govt in the light of the Indian Constitution. I have questioned the validity, legality, justness of several steps taken by the govt and the ruling class. Read full statement
St Peter’s Church: standing in solidarity in 2021. Pic credits: Pradip Das / The Indian Express
To a living Saint, now dead five years: Meeting to commemorate July 5
06/07/2026
Sabrangindia / by Sabrangindia
July 5, 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of Father Stan Swamy, who’s death in judicial custody in Maharashtra has been condemned for the institutional murder that it was; the 84 year old activist priest, who died of maltreatment by the prison authorities in Mumbai after suffering from the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic was an activist priest remembered for his path-breaking work among Adivasis in Jharkand
A meeting to commemorate the fifth death anniversary of Father Stan Swamy was held yesterday, Sunday, July 5. Organised by the Bombay Catholic Sabha at the Loyola Hall, it was well attended by close to two hundred Mumbaikars. Invited speakers spoke on the theme “Fr. Stan and his belief in the Constitution” Read more
Five years on, Father Stan Swamy’s legacy remains
06/07/2026
The Times of India / by TOI
Five years after Father Stan Swamy died at a Mumbai hospital while in judicial custody, a memorial for him at a church in Bandra on Sunday saw civil rights activists trace his activism and recall his days in custody.
… Speaking at the meeting, advocate Mihir Desai said that fake police encounters are not only when police fire on an unarmed person, but similar trauma may occur when an old person with fragile health, unlikely to survive prolonged incarceration, gets arrested on allegedly false charges. Read more
Mumbai, 5 July 2026. Picture credits: Free Press Journal
Fr Stan Swamy Remembered On Fifth Death Anniversary, Citizens Renew Pledge To Defend Constitution
05/07/2026
Free Press Journal / by Manoj Ramakrishnan
More than 150 citizens, activists and civil society members gathered in Mumbai to mark the fifth death anniversary of Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist Fr Stan Swamy. Speakers paid tribute to his work for Adivasi rights, social justice and constitutional values, while renewing calls to uphold the Constitution and continue campaigns for civil liberties and justice.
… The public meeting, held under the theme “Fr Stan and his Belief in the Constitution”, was organised jointly by the Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCS), Centre for Study of Society & Secularism (CSSS), Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), Christian Development Association (CDA), Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Mumbai for Peace and the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL). Read more
Fr Stan Swamy’s Fifth Death Anniversary To Be Marked In Mumbai With Constitution-Themed Memorial Event
02/07/2026
Free Press Journal / by FPJ News Service
Mumbai’s Bombay Catholic Sabha, along with several civil rights organisations, will hold a programme on July 5 to mark the fifth death anniversary of Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist Fr Stan Swamy. Titled ‘Fr Stan and his Belief in the Constitution’, the event in Bandra will feature advocates, activists and rights groups discussing his legacy and commitment to constitutional values.
The Bombay Catholic Sabha (BCS), along with several civil rights and citizens’ organisations, will organise a programme on Sunday, 5 July, to commemorate the fifth death anniversary of Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist Fr Stan Swamy. Read more
If Stan Swamy, the Martyr, were alive today ….
02/07/2026
Sabrangindia / by Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ
On the fifth anniversary of the tragic death of the People’s Priest, an associate writes that, if alive Fr Stan Swamy would have been at the forefront of all the ongoing struggles of the Adivasis
Exactly five years ago, on 5 July 2021, Jesuit Father Stan Swamy was murdered. He was killed because he refused to kow-tow to a brutal, fascist regime. He was killed because he took a stand for justice and truth! He was killed because he accompanied the Adivasis and the other subalterns for a more dignified, equitable, and humane life! He was killed because he refused to compromise with corrupt, communal, anti-people, anti –constitutional forces! He was killed because he believed in humanity and in the power of ordinary people! What Stan’s murderers never bargained for is that Stan the martyr will never die! Stan was a martyr for justice – he lives in the hearts, souls, and minds of millions today and forever!
Stan Swamy, the Martyr, is no longer around today- but if he were physically present in this world today, what exactly would he be doing?
If Stan Swamy, the Martyr, were alive today, he would be in the midst of the Adivasis. His life would be very simple and frugal. He would eat their food, sing their songs, and dance with them. He would identify with them totally. Yes, of course, he would be angry if others tried to destroy their identity, their culture and customs, their traditions, and their value systems. He would master their language and walk the talk with them. Read more
Indian Jesuit priest Fr Stan Swamy to be remembered at anniversary Mass in London
19/06/2026
By Jesuit Mission UK
Fr Stan Swamy SJ – the late priest who died in an Indian jail in 2021 – will be honoured at a memorial Mass at a London Jesuit parish.
The vigil service at St Anselm’s Church in Southall at 6.30pm on Saturday 4th July will be dedicated to the memory of Fr Stan, whose death anniversary falls the next day. Read more
▪ A Documentary Film on Stan Swamy – A Caged Bird Can Still Sing
hindi / en | 21:40min | 2025 By Karwan e Mohabbat
This short documentary revisits the life and work of Father Stan Swamy, the Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist who spent decades standing with Adivasi communities in Jharkhand. Arrested under draconian anti-terror laws and denied timely medical care, Stan died in custody on 5 July 2021. Through conversations with his friends and colleagues, and using Stan’s own archival footage and recordings, we reflect on his unwavering commitment to justice and begin to understand why he was targeted by the state. This is both a tribute and a reminder of the forces that criminalise dissent and silence those who speak for the most marginalised.
Remembering Stan Swamy (26 April 1937 – 5 July 2021)
The state persecuted Stan Swamy under the UAPA, a punishment that precipitated his death as an undertrial in judicial custody. Stan Swamy was framed, fettered, and finally forced towards a fatal illness under due process of law called the UAPA. The charges levelled reveal the state’s deep prejudice against an upright activist who spent decades in building and empowering Adivasi rights against historic neglect and exploitation. Stan Swamy’s persecution under the UAPA offers an understanding of how many others have been similarly punished by the state for their dissenting politics.
Prior to his incarceration, Stan Swamy’s failing health was well-known, but he was not granted even medical bail let alone regular bail. The NIA and the prison authorities refused to acknowledge the deterioration that he suffered in prison, and they failed to uphold his rights as a prisoner, a right to decent health care and facilities.
▪ I am not a Silent Spectator – Why Truth has become so bitter, Dissent so intolarable, Justice so out of reach – An Autobiographical Fragment, Memory and Reflection
Edition: Aug 2021
Publisher: Indian Social Institute, Bangalore
Language: English
Paperback: 149 pages
‘Why truth has become so bitter, dissent so intolerable, justice so out of reach?’ because truth has become very bitter to those in power and position, dissent, so unpalatable to the ruling elite, justice, so out of reach to the powerless, marginalised, deprived people. Yet, truth must be spoken, right to dissent must be upheld, and justice must reach the doorsteps of the poor. I am not a silent spectator. This booklet is not my autobiography. It is rather a collation of some glimpses/episodes from my life that somehow made a difference for me, and possibly for my confrères, colleagues and the people with whom I have shared my life.
Charge of Maoist link in Press Club meet ‘mere assumption’ – Varavara Rao opposes NIA bail repeal plea
07/07/2026
The Print / by Mayank Kumar
Seeking cancellation of bail to Elgar Parishad accused, NIA alleges that January meeting at Mumbai Press Club was intended to discuss ways to spread the ‘Urban Naxal’ movement.
Poet-activist Varavara Rao has opposed the National Investigation Agency’s plea to cancel his bail in the 2018 Elgar Parishad case, saying he was merely an invitee to a Mumbai Press Club dinner and was unaware that other co-accused had also been invited, countering the NIA’s argument that they had violated bail conditions. Read more
Poet-activist Varavara Rao has opposed the NIA’s plea seeking cancellation of his bail in the Elgar Parishad case, denying he knowingly met co-accused at a Mumbai Press Club event. Rao said there is no evidence of communication with co-accused or Maoist propaganda, asserting the meeting focused on prisoners’ issues and legal matters. The NIA court will hear arguments on July 10. Read more
3 accused oppose NIA’s plea to cancel their bail for attending press club event
03/07/2026
Hindustan Times / by Vikrant Jha
Poet-activist Varavara Rao, activist Vernon Gonsalves and activist-lawyer Arun Ferreira filed separate replies before Special Judge Chakor S Baviskar, opposing the NIA’s applications seeking cancellation of their bail. The court took the replies on record and adjourned the matter to July 10 for hearing
Three accused in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case on Thursday opposed the National Investigation Agency (NIA)’s plea seeking cancellation of their bail. They told a special court that they were unaware they had been invited together to a January event at the Mumbai Press Club, that they had merely attended it as invitees, and that bail could not be cancelled lightly in the absence of any deliberate or substantial breach of its conditions. Read more
NIA records statement of 6 over Mumbai Press Club meet cited in Elgaar bail plea
02/07/2026
The Indian Express / by Express News Service
The agency has argued that the accused violated bail conditions prohibiting them from establishing communication with co-accused or persons allegedly involved in similar activities by attending the gathering together.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has recorded the statements of six persons, including three journalists expelled from the Mumbai Press Club and three office-bearers of the club, as part of its probe into the January 19 gathering at the club that has become central to its bid to cancel the bail of several accused in the Elgaar Parishad case. Read more
The submissions recommend that prison records must identify every person with disability individually to make reasonable adjustments for them, while respecting their confidentiality.
A Kerala-based activist, whose petition highlighting the traumatic prison days of the late Professor G.N. Saibaba and Stan Swamy led the Supreme Court to form a high-powered committee to free Indian jails from the colonial yoke, suggested bringing in a mechanism to allow disabled prisoners/detainees to self-identify and declare their disabilities. Read more
There are some faces that haunt me. They make me feel sad, angry, and, at times, I want to yell out. They confuse me. They fill me with despair. They prompt me to rebel. They make me feel so helpless. They make me pray. They cause me to reflect and speak up.
Two of them I want to present to you: Stan Swamy and Sanjeev Bhatt. Read more
▪ I am not a Silent Spectator – Why Truth has become so bitter, Dissent so intolarable, Justice so out of reach – An Autobiographical Fragment, Memory and Reflection
Edition: Aug 2021
Publisher: Indian Social Institute, Bangalore
Language: English
Paperback: 149 pages
‘Why truth has become so bitter, dissent so intolerable, justice so out of reach?’ because truth has become very bitter to those in power and position, dissent, so unpalatable to the ruling elite, justice, so out of reach to the powerless, marginalised, deprived people. Yet, truth must be spoken, right to dissent must be upheld, and justice must reach the doorsteps of the poor. I am not a silent spectator. This booklet is not my autobiography. It is rather a collation of some glimpses/episodes from my life that somehow made a difference for me, and possibly for my confrères, colleagues and the people with whom I have shared my life.
Edition: Aug 2021 Publisher: Peoples Union for Democratic Rights, Delhi Language: English
Paperback: 45 pages
Stan Swamy, as this report documents, was framed, fettered, and finally forced towards a fatal illness under due process of law. The report argues that the naturalness of Stan’s death—a cardiac arrest driven by Covid complications—doesn’t exonerate the unnaturalness of the persecution that he suffered under the UAPA. Underlying Stan’s experiences of persecution lie the life-stories of many others, including the 15 accused in the Bhima Koregaon case. Beyond chronicling Stan’s persecution under law, the report documents why Comrade Stan was a dissenter and a true patriot and why the state feared and criminalized his dissent under the UAPA.
