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Stan Swamy was ‘killed’, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut attacks Modi govt / Stan, UAPA and the Performative Solidarity of Politicians

Stan Swamy was ‘killed’, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut attacks Modi govt / Stan, UAPA and the Performative Solidarity of Politicians


Drawing by Arun Freirra

Stan Swamy was ‘killed’, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut attacks Modi govt over activist’s death

11/07/2021

The Indian Express / by Vishwas Waghmode

A government that is scared of an 84-year-old man is dictatorial in attitude but weak in the heart like Hitler’s and Mussolini’s, said Raut in his weekly column in party mouthpiece Saamana.
Hitting out at the Union government over the death of Father Stan Swamy, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the tribal-rights activist was “killed” in jail. The Sena MP further asked whether the country’s foundations were so weak that an 84-year-old man could overthrow the Narendra Modi government, equating it with the ones of Hitler and Mussolini.
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Shiv Sena asks Centre if Father Stan Swamy was capable of overthrowing state

11/07/2021

Hindustan Times / by Naresh Kamath

Raut said that while the prominent activists arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case were guilty of provocative speeches before the violence on January 2, it required investigation to prove if they were actually conspiring against the nation.
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Father Stan, UAPA and the Performative Solidarity of Politicians

10/07/2021

The Wire / by Farah Naqvi

For politicians expressing anguish and outrage in this moment of injustice, the best tribute would be to do what Fr. Stan Swamy did his entire life.
“Stan Smith (84) passes away. The system sucks. UAPA. No bail. Little hope of early trial. Others too languish in jail. Lawyers , Academics , Social Activists ….raise their voices for the voiceless. They too are now “voiceless”. The State calls them “ terrorists,” Kapil Sibal, Congress MP, tweeted on July 5, 2021.
Sibal got the name wrong. And he forgot to say sorry. For this casual disrespect to a martyr for democracy, even before dust had settled on his grave. He also forgot to say sorry for his own role in giving India the dark gift of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) that finally killed Fr. Stan Swamy. The gift that keeps on giving.
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His Death is Just a Statistic for Them: Anand Grover

10/07/2021

The Citizen / by The Citizen Bureau

‘In other countries if one is wrongly prosecuted they can sue the police or the government’
Senior advocate Anand Grover has represented poet Varavara Rao and professor Shoma Sen imprisoned without trial since 2018 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in charges including a police-alleged plot to assassinate PM Narendra Modi.

Your reaction to Stan Swamy’s death?
It is a failure of the whole criminal justice system.
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Taloja jail official who wanted Elgaar accused shifted gets transferred

Taloja jail official who wanted Elgaar accused shifted gets transferred

Taloja jail superintendent transferred

05/07/2021

The Indian Express / by Express News Service

Had sought accused in Bhima Koregaon case to be shifted to other prison.
Taloja jail superintendent Kaustubh Kurlekar, who recently sought the transfer of the male accused in the Bhima Koregaon case to another prison, has been moved to another posting attached to the office of the Inspector General (prisons) as a part of an administrative shuffle, a senior prison department official said.
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Elgar Parishad Accused Could Soon Be Separated, Moved to Different Prisons Across Maharashtra

29/06/2021

The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha

The Taloja Central jail authorities have moved NIA court claiming that the lawyers and family members of those arrested have been giving ‘fake information’ to the media.
The activists and academics arrested in the Elgar Parishad case now have a new challenge before them – the possibility of being separated and thrown into different prisons across the state.
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Also read: Amid pandemic, India’s political prisoners struggle with failing health in unequipped jails (The Caravan, June 22)

Bombay HC issues notice on petition against jail authorities withholding letters

Bombay HC issues notice on petition against jail authorities withholding letters

Bombay HC issues notice on petition by Rama Anand Teltumbde, Susan Abraham Gonsalves against jail authorities withholding letters to and from their jailed husbands

03/07/2021

The Leaflet / by Hamza Lakdawala

The Bombay High Court Saturday issued a notice to the Maharashtra Government, the National Investigation Agency(NIA), and the jail superintendent on a petition filed by Rama Anand Teltumbde and Susan Abraham Gonsalves seeking a direction from the court to the Superintendent of Taloja Prison to allow letter communication between the petitioners and their respective jailed husbands.
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Permit Anand Teltumbde & Vernon Gonsalves To Receive & Send Letters : Spouses Move Bombay High Court

03/07/2021

Live Law / by Shrutika Pandey

A plea has been filed by wives of Anand Teltumbde and Vernon Gonsalves in the Bombay High Court seeking action against the Superintendent of Taloja Prison for withholding communication from Teltumbde and other co-accused to their family members. The matter was posted before a division bench of Justice S.S Shinde and N.J Jamadar, where counsel on behalf of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Sandish Patel, contended not receiving a copy of the petition; thus, the matter was adjourned with directions to serve the respondents.
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On Sudha Bharadwaj’s bail plea, Bombay HC asks NIA, Maharashtra to respond by July 2

On Sudha Bharadwaj’s bail plea, Bombay HC asks NIA, Maharashtra to respond by July 2

Bombay High Court Seeks Reply On Sudha Bharadwaj’s Plea For Default Bail In Bhima Koregaon Case

22/06/2021

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

The Bombay high Court on Tuesday directed the National Investigating Agency and State to file their replies in lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj’s plea seeking default bail on the grounds that the Pune judge was not authorized to take cognizance of the charge sheet filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against her, in 2019.
A division bench of Justices SS Shinde and NJ Jamadar passed the order on Bharadwaj’s plea under Sections 439 and 167 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Advocate Sandesh Patil for the NIA sought time to reply to the contentions following which the respondents have been asked to filed their replies by July 2 and the matter is posted for hearing on July 3.
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On activist Sudha Bharadwaj’s bail plea, Bombay HC asks NIA, Maharashtra to respond by July 2

22/06/2021

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

Bharadwaj argued that the judge who allowed Pune Police more time to file the chargesheet against her was not a special judge and hence cannot take cognisance.
The activist had moved the High Court for default bail on June 11. Bharadwaj sought bail on the grounds that the Pune Police did not file a chargesheet against her within 90 days, as required under Section 167(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The inquiry in the case was later taken over by the National Investigation Agency.
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Sudha Bharadwaj Moves Bombay High Court Seeking Default Bail

11/06/2021

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

Lawyer-Activist Sudha Bharadwaj, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon – Elgar Parishad case, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking default bail contending that the trial judge was not authorised to take cognisance of the 2019 charge sheet against her.
Her application under section 167 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code cites RTI replies to demonstrate that the court of Additional Sessions Judge Kishor Vadane in Pune was not authorised to take cognisance of the 1,800-page supplementary charge sheet filed by the Pune Police in February 21, 2019.
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Amid pandemic, India’s political prisoners struggle with failing health in unequipped jails

Amid pandemic, India’s political prisoners struggle with failing health in unequipped jails


Prison diaries. Drawing by Arun Ferreira

Amid pandemic, India’s political prisoners struggle with failing health in unequipped jails

22/06/2021

The Caravan / by Nileena MS

As of 6 June this year, five of the 16 persons accused in the Bhima Koregaon case have spent over three years in jail without trial. These 16 individuals include lawyers, academics, a poet, a priest and activists. They are among scores of political prisoners in the country who have been arrested under the Narendra Modi government. Seven of the 16 have tested positive for COVID-19, and many of the others suffer from serious conditions, including comorbidities. Despite a rampaging second wave and increasing reports about worsening health conditions in jails, India appears intent on keeping its political prisoners behind bars.
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Vaccination drive in Maharashtra prisons going slow

22/06/2021

The Hindu / by Sonam Saigal

Only 4,409 of 33,971 inmates have received at-least the first dose.
The vaccination drive across 47 prisons in Maharashtra has been rather slow with only 4,409 inmates having received at least the first dose out of the total 33,971 inmates, that it houses.
According to the Maharashtra Prison Department, there are 28,716 under-trials and 5,255 convicts lodged across the State of which 3,338 under-trials and 1,021 convicts have been vaccinated.
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Also read: Imprisoned and Unsafe – Prisoners and the Pandemic (PUCL, Sep 2020)

Stan Swamy to stay in hospital till June 18, says Bombay HC

Stan Swamy to stay in hospital till June 18, says Bombay HC

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

The Bombay High Court on Thursday said tribal rights activist Stan Swamy will remain admitted to a Mumbai-based private hospital till June 18 as he is suffering from the coronavirus, reported PTI. The 84-year-old activist has been in custody since October in connection with the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case.
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Bhima Koregaon: Marking three years since the first arrest

Bhima Koregaon: Marking three years since the first arrest


Click to enlarge posters

The Leaflet / by Nihalsing B Rathod

Recalling the first set of arrests made in the questionable Bhima Koregaon violence case almost exactly three years ago, Nihalsing B Rathod, in this first of a three-part series, recollects the personal horrors of trying to track Surendra Gadling in the immediate aftermath of his arrest, details the events leading to the arrest of five more activists in August 2018, and explains how basic tenets of criminal law were violated by the Pune Police in making these arrests.

The morning of June 6, 2018, gave me a horrific memory that perhaps will never fade. Early in the morning, I received a phone call that police were at the house of Advocate Surendra Gadling again. The memory of the raid of April 17, 2018, was still fresh.
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HC allows Hany Babu to continue treatment for post-Covid complications at hospital / Solidarity

HC allows Hany Babu to continue treatment for post-Covid complications at hospital / Solidarity

Bombay HC allows Hany Babu to continue treatment for post-Covid complications at Breach Candy

03/06/2021

The Leaflet / by Hamza Lakdawala

Bombay High Court on Thursday allowed Hany Babu to continue treatment at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. The court was hearing a plea filed by Hany Babu’s wife, Jenny Roweena, which sought urgent medical Bail for Babu.
The matter was heard by a bench of Justice S. S. Shinde and Justice Abhay Ahuja.
… The court posted the matter on June 15, 2021, for further hearing.
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Bombay High Court directs Breach Candy hospital to not discharge Bhima Koregaon violence accused till June 3

01/06/2021

Law Beat / by Shruti Kakkar

The Bombay High Court today has extended the order as per which directions were issued to not discharge Hany Babu who is being treated for black fungus & CoVID at his own costs under the protection of police officials without seeking Court’s permission till June 3.
“We’ve already passed an order of not discharging Hany Babu till we permit & let that order extend till June 3,” a bench of Justice SS Shinde and Justice Abhay Ahuja said.
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Video: Solidarity for Hany Babu – A Beloved Techer, hounded by the state

20/05/2021

By Karwan e Mohabbat


en | 3:34min | 2021
Watch video


Bombay HC asks hospital not to discharge Bhima Koregaon accused Hany Babu till 1 June

27/05/2021

The Print / by pti

The Bombay High Court Thursday sought a medical report on the DU professor’s condition and treatment given to him. Babu tested positive for Covid earlier this month.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked the Breach Candy Hospital here not to discharge Delhi University associate professor Hany Babu, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, till June 1 and sought a medical report on his condition and treatment given to him.
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Mahesh Raut, Sagar Gorkhe and Ramesh Gaichor test Covid positive at Taloja jail

Mahesh Raut, Sagar Gorkhe and Ramesh Gaichor test Covid positive at Taloja jail

Bhima Koregaon case: 3 accused test Covid positive at Taloja jail

03/06/2021

Sabrangindia / by Sabrangindia

Mahesh Raut, Sagar Gorkhe and Ramesh Gaichor have tested positive after an RT-PCR drive was conducted at Taloja.
After Father Stan Swamy tested positive for Covid-19 at Holy Family Hospital, an RT-PCR test drive was conducted at Taloja jail for all inmates. The Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case accused Mahesh Raut, Sagar Gorkhe and Ramesh Gaichor have tested positive.
According to Republican Panthers Jatiya Antachi Chalwal activist Harshali Potdar, who was also questioned by the NIA in the Bhima Koregaon matter, the three accused persons have been quarantined in a very congested room in the Central jail. Despite testing positive, neither medical treatment of any kind has started, nor they have been given a medical diet to follow.
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Co-inmates of Stan Swamy who attended to him test negative

03/06/2021

The Indian Express / by Express News Service

Stan Swamy, the 84-year old Jesuit priest arrested in the Elgaar Parishad case, requires assistance to complete his daily chores in jail.
Days after Father Stan Swamy tested positive for Covid-19, two of his co-inmates who were attending to him, tested negative at Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday.
One of his co-accused, Arun Ferreira, and another inmate usually help him in jail.
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