Why Rona Wilson & Sudhir Dhawale were granted bail after 6 yrs in jail
15/01/2025
The Print / by Khadija Khan
Wilson, a researcher, and Dhawale, an activist, were booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which has strict bail provisions. Bombay HC relied on a 2021 SC ruling.
Trial in the Elgar Parishad or Bhima Koregaon violence case is not likely to end soon, given that the prosecution has named 363 persons as its witnesses. With this crucial observation and noting that charges have not yet been framed in the case filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Bombay High Court last week granted bail to researcher Rona Wilson and activist Sudhir Dhawale. Read more
Bombay HC tells special NIA court to expedite trial, complete framing of charges within 9 months
15/01/2025
The Indian Express / by Express News Service
The court’s directive came while granting bail to Elgaar Parishad accused activists Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhavale, citing prolonged incarceration of over six and half years.
The Bombay High Court has asked the special court designated under National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act to expedite the trial in Elgaar Parishad case and said that framing of charges be completed within nine months. Read more
The Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case began after caste violence broke out during a Dalit gathering in 2018 near Pune. It later turned into allegations of a Maoist conspiracy, leading to the arrest of several activists.
Last week, the Bombay High Court granted bail to prominent rights activists Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhawale in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case. The two were arrested on the accusations of being ‘urban naxals’ and linked to the banned CPI(Maoist) organisation. Of the 16 accused–including Wilson, Dhawale, Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, and activists like Arun Ferreira, Gautam Navlakha, Varavara Rao, and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj–Father Stan Swamy died in custody while many others are out on bail.
As of 2025, no charges have been framed against the accused, and the trial is yet to begin with over 300 witnesses to testify in the case. Read more
Better take complete bed rest if you are suffering: NIA court rejects Surendra Gadling’s plea for walks outside prison
12/01/2025
Hindustan Times / by Revu Suresh
NIA court denies activist Surendra Gadling’s plea for outdoor walks in jail, suggesting bed rest for his ailments instead, citing prison rules violations.
The special NIA (National Investigation Agency) court rejected a plea filed by activist-lawyer Surendra Gadling, 57, seeking permission to take morning and evening walks outside his prison cell circle within Taloja jail premises. The lawyer, who was arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon violence case, said he suffered from various ailments. In response, the court on Tuesday said if he really suffered, then he should take bed rest. Read more
Accused lawyer’s plea for morning, evening walks in jail premises rejected
11/01/2025
The Indian Express / by Express News Service
The court noted that while Gadling, who is lodged at Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai, had cited various ailments to seek relief, the barrack in which he is kept has natural air and light available for all purposes.
… The order, passed by special sessions judge Chakor S Baviskar on January 7, was made available on Saturday. Read more
Court rejects Gadling’s plea to walk outside ‘circle’ in jail
11/01/2025
The Times of India / by Rebecca Samervel
Surendra Gadling, an advocate and Elgar Parishad case accused, submitted a plea to the special NIA court seeking permission to walk outside the “circle”—the designated space given to undertrials – but within the jail premises for two hours daily. He supported his request by attaching two Google Maps images to the plea. Read more
Rona Wilson, Sudhir Dhawale Get Bail After 6.5 Years of Jail in Elgar Parishad Case
08/01/2025
The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha
The NIA claimed before the Bombay HC that it would ‘expedite the trial’ in the case in which charges are yet to be framed.
After over six years and six months of incarceration, the Bombay high court today, January 8, granted bail to two human rights defenders, Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhawale.
Both Wilson and Dhawale were among the first group of human rights activists to be arrested in the highly contentious Elgar Parishad case over what law enforcement claimed was their alleged Maoist links. Their bail in the high court, granted by a bench of Justice A.S. Gadkari and Justice Kamal Khata, came after an appeal was filed by their lawyers following rejections by the trial court. Read more
Bombay High Court Grants Bail To Rona Wilson & Sudhir Dhawale In Bhima-Koregaon Elgar Parishad Case
08/01/2025
Live Law / by Narsi Benwal
In a major relief for researcher Rona Wilson and activist Sudhir Dhawale, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday (January 8) granted them bail in the Bhima-Koregaon Elgar Parishad case.
A division bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Kamal Khata considered the fact that the duo have spent more than 6 years in jail as undertrials. Read more
Bail for activists Rona Wilson, Sudhir Dhawale in Bhima Koregaon case
08/01/2025
Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff
‘They are in jail since 2018, even the charges in the case are yet to be framed,’ the Bombay High Court observed on Wednesday.
Activists Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhawale were on Wednesday granted bail by the Bombay High Court in the Bhima Koregaon case, Live Law reported. Read more
Bombay High Court grants bail to Rona Wilson, Sudhir Dhawale
08/01/2025
Bar & Bench / by Sahyaja MS
A Bench of Justice AS Gadkari and Justice Kamal Khata granted bail citing prolonged incarceration, the non-framing of charges and the fact that over 300 witnesses would have to be examined.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhawale, accused in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon violence case.
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Bail was granted subject to bail bonds of ₹1 lakh and also on the condition that the accused shall report before National Investigation Agency (NIA) every Monday. Read more
Activists Rona Wilson, Sudhir Dhawale get bail, six accused in Elgaar Parishad case still remain behind bars
08/01/2025
The Indian Express / by Omkar Gokhale
Cites long incarceration, trial unlikely to conclude in near future
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to activists Rona Wilson and Sudhir Dhawale, both of whom were arrested in the Elgaar Parishad case in 2018, on grounds of long incarceration without trial.
With this, of the 16 arrested in the case—initially by the Pune police in 2018 and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2020—nine are out of jail. While Father Stan Swamy passed away in custody in 2021, six still remain in custody, including Mahesh Raut, who was granted bail by the Bombay High Court in September 2023, but remains behind bars as his bail plea is pending before the Supreme Court. Read more
Sagar Gorkhe and Mahesh Raut granted interim bail to appear for law exams
Mahesh Raut granted interim bail to appear for law exam
08/01/2025
Hindustan Times / by HT Correspondent
NIA court grants temporary bail to activist Mahesh Raut for law exam, requiring him to provide address and phone number, surrender post-exam.
A special NIA court on Tuesday granted temporary bail to Mahesh Raut, an activist lodged in Taloja central jail in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case, to attend his law examination. The court granted him bail from January 13 to January 30, on a personal recognition bond of ₹50,000. Read more
Elgar Parishad accused granted interim bail to appear for law exams
08/01/2025
India Today / by Vidya
A special NIA court granted interim bail to Mahesh Raut, accused in the Elgar Parishad case, to attend law exams. Raut, in custody since 2018, must surrender after his exams end on January 30.
A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday granted interim bail to Mahesh Raut, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case, allowing him to appear for law degree examinations. Read more
Accused In Elgar Parishad Case Gets Interim Bail To Appear For Law Exam
07/01/2025
NDTV / by pti
The court directed Gorkhe to furnish an active mobile cell phone number to jail authorities, the NIA and the prosecution as well.
More than four years after his arrest, a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mumbai on Friday granted interim bail to Sagar Gorkhe, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case, to appear for his law degree exam. The 22-day temporary bail was granted on a PR (personal recognizance) bond of Rs 50,000 and a surety of similar amount. Read more
Anand Teltumbde Moves Bombay HC Seeking Discharge From Bhima Koregaon Case, Judge Recuses From Hearing
03/01/2025
The Wire / by The Wire Staff
Justice Kotwal said he had heard and decided bail pleas of a few other accused in the same case in his capacity as a single judge and was thus recusing himself.
Dalit rights activist Anand Teltumbde has moved Bombay High Court seeking closure of the case against him pertaining to the Bhima Koregaon violence of 2018. Read more
Bench recuses itself from hearing Teltumbde’s plea for discharge in Elgar Parishad case
02/01/2025
India Today / by Vidya
The Bombay High Court bench, headed by Justice Sarang Kotwal, recused itself from hearing Anand Teltumbde’s plea as the judge had previously decided on some bail applications related to the matter.
A bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday recused itself from hearing an appeal filed by Professor Anand Teltumbde, an accused in the 2018 Elgar Parishad case in Pune. Teltumbde had approached the high court challenging the rejection of his discharge plea. Read more
Bombay HC judge recuses himself from hearing Anand Teltumbde’s discharge plea
02/01/2025
Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff
Justice Sarang Kotwal declined to hear the matter, saying that he had earlier heard and decided on bail applications of accused persons in the case.
A Bombay High Court judge on Thursday recused himself from hearing an appeal by activist and writer Anand Teltumbde demanding that he be discharged from the Bhima Koregaon case, Live Law reported. Read more
Bombay HC Judge Recuses From Hearing Prof Anand Teltumbde’s Appeal Against Order Rejecting Discharge Plea
02/01/2025
Live Law / by Narsi Benwal
Bombay High Court judge Justice Sarang Kotwal on Thursday (January 2) recused from hearing an appeal filed by Professor Anand Teltumbde, one of the accused in the Bhima-Koregaon case.
The judge also asked the Registry to ensure that any of the matters related to the Bhima-Koregaon case, should not be listed before him. Read more
By The Dalit Voice / @ambedkariteIND (Jan 2):
More than 2 million people visit Bhima Koregaon on Shaurya Diwas.
Jan 1, 2025
207th anniversary of Battle of Koregaon Bhima: We will kick those who oppose Dr Ambedkar, rhymes Ramdas Athavle
01/01/2025
The Indian Express / by Chandan Haygunde
Lakhs visit Jaystambh in Pune, no untoward incident reported, say police
Over six lakh people, mainly followers of Dr B R Ambedkar from different parts of the country, visited the ‘Jaystambh’ at Perne village in Pune district to mark the 207th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima on Wednesday. Read more
About 10 lakh people tribute peacefully at Koregaon Bhima victory pillar
01/01/2025
Times of India / by Sandip Dighe
About 10 lakh people on Wednesday paid tributes at the Koregaon Bhima Jaystambh (victory pillar) at Perne village, about 30km from the city on the highway to Ahmednagar road.
People from all walks of life went there to commemorate the 207th anniversary of the battle of Koregaon Bhima fought between the East India Company and the Peshwa of the Maratha empire on January 1, 1818. Read more
In Maharashtra, Fadnavis’s Foray to Capture Bhima-Koregaon
01/01/2025
The Wire / by Anand Teltumbde
The scale and nature of Maharashtra government’s involvement in the forthcoming celebration at Bhima-Koregaon raises questions, especially in light of the historical significance of the event as a symbol of anti-caste resistance.
The upcoming congregation on January 1, 2025 at Bhima-Koregaon is being actively sponsored by the state government under the leadership of the returning Maharashtra chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis. After reclaiming the chief ministerial position following a six-year hiatus, this initiative marks one of his first major undertakings, thereby carrying immense political significance. Read more
Graphic by Arun Ferreira & Vernon Gonsalves
People gather in large numbers at Bhima Koregaon village to mark 207th anniversary of battle
01/01/2025
The News Mill / by ani
A large number of people on Wednesday gathered at Koregaon Bhima village in Maharashtra’s Pune to mark the 207th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon Battle at the Vijay Stambha memorial erected in honour of the soldiers who fought in the battle. Read more
Political leaders pay tribute at the Bhima Koregaon Memorial
01/01/2025
The Mooknayak / by Pratikshit Singh
Every year on 1st January, lakhs of people assemble at Jay Stambh, the memorial dedicated to the martyrs of the historic Bhima Koregaon Battle.
Prakash Ambedkar, the president of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and grandson of Dr. Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar visited Jay Stambha, the Bhima Koregaon memorial and paid tributes to the martyrs of the historic battle. Read more
Security Heightened As Uneasiness Looms Over Bhima-Koregaon Anniversary
30/12/2024
Free Press Journal / by Ashish Singh
For the Dalit community, the battle represents a significant moment of pride, as they view the victory as symbolic of their resistance against the upper-caste oppression of the Maratha Peshwa regime.
In light of a recent incident in Parbhani district, the 207th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon (1818), scheduled for January 1, 2025, is being watched by security agencies. The agencies are on high alert due to concerns about the law and order situation. Read more
Senior Supreme Court advocate Colin Gonsalves on Monday highlighted the need to understand the interpretation of murder and terrorism. Speaking on ‘The Rise of Fascism and Question of Law and Judiciary’ at the second day of the International Seminar on Fascism organised by Arvind Memorial Trust at Bagh Lingampally, Gonsalves highlighted various examples of resistance emerging from courts when fascist power rules supreme.
… “Activists like Sudha Bharadwaj, imprisoned for an unverified letter written by some mysterious third party linking her to Naxalites, and tribal advocate Soni Sori, who exposed atrocities against Adivasis, embody resistance against state overreach,” he said. Read more
Fadnavis’ obsession with ‘urban naxals’, and a lawless Beed
Several observers believe that the BJP government anticipates a number of popular unrests in the state in the coming months and is gearing up to deal with people’s anger
… It was during Fadnavis’s last tenure as chief minister that the Maharashtra police initiated the infamous Bhima-Koregaon conspiracy case. Though the case is crumbling in court, it enabled the police to arrest a large number of human rights activists including Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde in addition to Father Stan Swamy (who died in prison), Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Vernon Gonsalves and Prof. Shoma Sen. Activists and civil society believe Fadnavis is setting the stage for a sequel. Read more
Lakhs of Dalits converge at Jaystambh (victory pillar) at Perne phata in Koregaon Bhima village on Jan 1 to commemorate the victory of Dalit Mahars over the Peshwa army on January 1, 1818
The Pune police will be keeping a close watch on anti-social elements and those who spread misinformation including inflammatory messages on social media ahead of the Bhima Koregaon celebrations scheduled to take place on January 1, 2025 said Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar during a meeting with Dalit organisations in the run-up to the celebrations on Friday. Read more
