Rani – Page 18 – free them all

Feb 13th: #FreeBK16 #EvidencePlanted (posters) / Sudha Bharadwaj spends 900 days in detention

13/02/2021 Rani

Feb 13th TWEET STORM: #FreeBK16 #EvidencePlanted

13/02/2021

Tweets by various groups and individuals

The Washington Post newspaper has published a report in which Arsenal Consulting, a digital forensics firm, exposes the “extremely dark” and “very organised” hacking of activist Rona Wilson’s laptop to plant incriminating evidence related to the Bhima Koregaon incident. Sixteen activists are facing charges under UAPA and have been lodged in jail without bail in Bhima Koregaon case.
Some tweets and posters shared during the tweet storm today:

Dalit Camera: What kind of a country puts its intellectuals behind bars for something they didn’t do?

Dalit Camera: When the government doesn’t have an answer to the storm of questions raised against, it resorts to arresting those speaking the truth fearlessly. Shame!

NAPM India: National Alliance of People’s Movements demands the govt #FreeBK16 in light of #EvidencePlanted – it is draconian to jail #HumanRights activists based on fabricated evidence and no trial!

Elgar Parishad: After Armed Arsenal report it is evident that Elgar Parishad – Bhima Koregaon case is completely fabricated. We demand immediate release of BK 16

Jignesh Mevani: India’s prominent intellectuals are in jail for one simple reason: they can think and oppose an autocratic government! There is no legal basis, no trial, and even the evidence is planted! The world should take note!

Boston South Asian Coalition: Arsenal Consulting, a reputed Forensic firm has exposed the conspiracy that maliciously planted evidence to arrest

Cedric Prakash: It is important that all the illegally incarcerated are freed immediately

COLLECTIVE: COLLECTIVE demands arrest of Sangh rioters Shambhaji bhide, Milind Ekbote. India will be a country of #Andolanjeevis, not bootlickers of imperialism.

Sudha Bharadwaj spends 900 days in detention

12/02/2021

Civicus.org / by CIVICUS

▪ 13 February 2021 marks Sudha Bharadwaj’s 900th day in pre-trial detention
▪ Questions raised about validity of letters used to incriminate Sudha
▪ Indian authorities have limited the number of books she can receive
February 13 marks 900 days since Indian activist Sudha Bharadwaj was arrested and imprisoned. On this day, global civil society organisation CIVICUS calls on the Indian government to immediately release Bharadwaj and drop all charges against her.
Since 2018, Sudha and 15 other activists, writers and lawyers have been arrested under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and accused of having links with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
Read more

Video: The Needle of Doubt is Now on All Matters, says Mihir Desai / India’s democracy in decline

12/02/2021 Rani

Video: Not Just Bhima Koregaon, the Needle of Doubt is Now on All Matters, says Mihir Desai

12/02/2021

hindi | 23:12min | 2021

Newsclick / Bhasha Singh in conversation with Mihir Desai

In a special offering by Newsclick, senior journalist Bhasha Singh spoke to Mihir Desai, a senior advocate at the Bombay High Court about the new revelation by The Washington Post in the Bhima Koregaon case which has revealed that offensive material was planted through a software on arrested political activist Rona Wilson’s laptop. The disclosure is important because it almost makes it clear that electronic evidence was planted in the Bhima Koregaon case and there is a strong sense of fear that it may happen in other cases as well.
Watch video

Also Read: Computer of Rona Wilson was compromised, malware planted from outside: US Forensic Firm report (Feb 10, 2021)

India’s democracy in decline

12/02/2021

Washington Post / by Joanna Slater and Niha Masih

The future of the world’s largest democracy is looking increasingly less democratic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most dominant Indian leader in five decades, while the country’s independent institutions have rarely appeared weaker…
One case in particular has become a litmus test for the rule of law and freedom of expression in India. Three years ago, police in a state controlled by Modi’s party began arresting activists under a stringent anti-terrorism law.
Read more

Left parties: Withdraw Bhima Koregaon Cases, Release All The Accused Immediately

12/02/2021 Rani

Withdraw Bhima Koregaon Cases, Release All The Accused Immediately

12/02/2021

By Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist-Liberation

A report by a US-based digital forensics firm reveals shocking evidence that malaware was used to plant a bunch of incriminating letters on the computer of Rona Wilson, one of the Bhima Koregaon accused. It is these letters that were made the basis for the Bhima Koregaon case, for which Wilson has been arrested and imprisoned under the draconian UAPA without bail or trial since 2018.
Read full statement (fb)

Release All Bhima Koregaon Accused Unconditionally

11/02/2021

Communistparty.in / by CPI

The National Secretariat of the Communist Party of India has issued the following statement today (on February 11, 2021) demanding unconditional release of all accused in Bhima Koregaon case.
Read full statement

Drop Cases against Bhima Koregaon Accused

11/02/2021

Communist Party of India (Marxist) / by CPI-M

The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) demands the dropping of cases against activists arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case and asks the Maharashtra Government to set up an SIT to enquire into the developments exposed by the credible reports of international experts as to how evidence was manufactured and planted in the computer of one of the activists Rona Wilson.
Read full statement

Also Read: Computer of Rona Wilson was compromised, malware planted from outside: US Forensic Firm report (Feb 10, 2021)

After Washington Post Exposé India Needs to Amend Rules on Electronic Evidence

11/02/2021 Rani

After Washington Post Exposé India Needs to Amend Rules on Electronic Evidence

11/02/2021

The Leaflet / by Dushyant

The Washington Post newspaper has published a report in which Arsenal Consulting, a digital forensics firm, exposes the “extremely dark” and “very organised” hacking of activist Rona Wilson’s laptop to plant incriminating evidence related to the Bhima Koregaon incident. The revelations should trigger a rethink of how evidentiary value of electronic records, writes Dushyant.
Read more

Also Read: Computer of Rona Wilson was compromised, malware planted from outside: US Forensic Firm report (Feb 10, 2021)

Activists and Politicians Demands Special Probe after Revelation

11/02/2021

Newsclick / by Amey Tirodkar

When Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh chaired a meeting to check whether they could reopen the case, the NIA took over it the very next day, on January 25, 2020.
On Wednesday, February 10, The Washington Post reported that the laptop of Rona Wilson, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, was attacked with “malware to infiltrate” prior to his arrest and that the software deposited at least ten incriminating letters on his computer.
Read more

Also Read: Raid On NewsClick: An Attempt To Muzzle The Voices of Dissent (Feb 10, 2021)

Rona Wilson Moves Bombay HC Seeking SIT Probe Into His Framing [read petition]

10/02/2021 Rani

Rona Wilson challenges his prosecution in Bombay HC; seeks SIT probe into his framing [read petition/forensic report]

10/02/2021

The Leaflet / by The Leaflet

An accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, Rona Wilson, has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court challenging his prosecution under the stringent anti-terrorism Unlawful Activities (Prevention) (UAPA) Act. He has also sought the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate his “framing” and “targeting” by planting incriminating material in his laptop.
Read more

Rona Wilson Moves Bombay High Court Seeking SIT Probe Into Forensic Report

10/02/2021

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

Researcher Rona Wilson, the first person to be arrested in the Bhima Koregaon Case, on Wednesday, approached the Bombay High Court seeking the formation of a Special Investigation Team to inquire into the planting of fabricated documents in his computer over a course of around 22 months.
Wilson, as well as 15 other civil rights activists and academics, in India, are incarcerated, facing charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) based on letters primarily retrieved from his and co-accused Surendra Gadling’s computer, to claim a conspiracy to kill the Prime Minister and overthrow the government.
Read more

Also Read: Computer of Rona Wilson was compromised, malware planted from outside: US Forensic Firm report (Feb 10, 2021)

Key evidence against jailed activists planted using malware, says forensic report [read report] / Video: Planted Evidence?

10/02/2021 Rani

They were Accused of plotting to overthrow the Modi government – The evidence was planted, a new report says

10/02/2021

Washington Post / by Niha Masih and Joanna Slater

Key evidence against a group of Indian activists accused of plotting to overthrow the government was planted on a laptop seized by police, a new forensics report concludes, deepening doubts about a case viewed as a test of the rule of law under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
An attacker used malware to infiltrate a laptop belonging to one of the activists, Rona Wilson, before his arrest and deposited at least 10 incriminating letters on the computer, according to a report from Arsenal Consulting, a Massachusetts-based digital forensics firm that examined an electronic copy of the laptop at the request of Wilson’s lawyers.
Read more

Computer of Rona Wilson was compromised, malware planted from outside: US Forensic Firm report

10/02/2021

Bar & Bench / by Neha Joshi

The report was prepared by a foreign digital forensics consulting company appointed by the lawyers of Rona Wilson, accused in the Bhima Koregaon case.
… Massachusetts-based firm Arsenal Consulting was appointed by Wilson’s lawyers to analyse the electronic evidence seized from his home by the Pune Police in 2018.
Read more

Read Arsenal Consulting’s full report here

Video: Planted Evidence?

10/02/2021

en | 23:20min | 2021

NDTV / by Sreenivasan Jain

In this episode of Reality Check, a new report suggests crucial evidence on which the investigating agencies built the case against activists in the Bhima Koregaon case may have been planted.
Sreenivasan Jain in conversation with Mark Spencer, Head of Arsenal Consulting; Joanna Slater, Washington Post; Vrinda Grover, Advocate Supreme Court; Geeta Bhatt, Political Analyst; N Venugopal, Varavara Rao’s nephew.
Watch video

Key evidence against jailed activists planted using malware, says forensic report

10/02/2021

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

The report found that an attacker used malware to infiltrate activist Rona Wilson’s laptop before his arrest, and deposited at least 10 incriminating letters.
Key evidence against a group of activists and intellectuals, who have been arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case, was planted using a malware on a laptop seized by police, a new forensics report has found, The Washington Post reported.
Read more

Incriminating Letters Were ‘Planted’ on Rona Wilson’s Laptop: US Digital Forensics Firm

10/02/2021

The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha

Investigating agencies have used these letters to implicate Wilson and 15 other rights activists arrested in the ongoing Elgar Parishad case of 2018.
For at least 22 months before the Pune Police had raided activist Rona Wilson’s residence in New Delhi and arrested him, a cyber attacker had allegedly gained access to his laptop and planted at least 10 incriminating letters on it.
Read more

Also Read:
► Prison-rights activist Rona Wilson’s hard disk contained malware that allowed remote access (The Caravan, Mar 2020)
► 13 letters leaked by Pune police show why it’s hard to believe claims about a Maoist conspiracy (Scroll.in, Sep 2018)

To Be Punished Until Proven Innocent – Jails Are Full Of Undertrials

10/02/2021 Rani

Outlook / by Puneet Nicholas Yadav

Our jails are full of undertrials. Are they being punished before their guilt is established in court?
“There is no reason why these undertrial prisoners should be allowed to continue to languish in jail, merely because the State is not in a position to try them within a reasonable period of time. It is possible that some of them, on trial, may be acquitted of the offences charged against them and, in that event, they would have spent several years in jail for offences that they are ultimately found not to have committed. What faith would these people have in our system of administration of justice? Would they not carry a sense of frustration and bitterness against a society that keeps them in jail for so many years for offences they did not commit?”
Read more

Bombay HC Rejects Gautam Navlakha’s Default Bail Plea [read order]

09/02/2021 Rani

by The Logical Indian (Feb 9): The Bombay High court on February 8 dismissed the bail plea of activist Gautam Navlakha who was arrested in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case +++
by The Logical Indian (Feb 9): The special court then accepted NIA’s plea seeking an extension of 90 to 180 days to file the charge sheet against Navlakha and co-accused Anand Teltumbde +++

Period under illegal detention has to be excluded in computing 90-day custody period for default bail [read order]

08/02/2021

Bar & Bench

The bone of contention was whether the period of 34 days during which Navlakha was under house arrest could be included towards calculating the 90 day period for custody prescribed under Section 167(2) of CrPC.
Read more

Bombay High Court Dismisses Bail Application Of Gautam Navlakha In Bhima Koregaon Case

08/02/2021

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

A division bench of Justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik passed the order on a criminal appeal filed by Navlakha against an order of the special court, which rejected his application for default bail in June, last year. He is in prison since his surrender on April, 14 2020.
“We see no reason to interfere with the order of the trial court”, said the Court.
Read more

Bhima Koregaon Case: Bombay HC Rejects Gautam Navlakha’s Default Bail Plea

08/02/2021

The Wire / by The Wire Staff

“We see no reason to interfere with the order of the trial court,” the division bench said in response to an appeal filed by the activist.
The Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed the default bail petition of activist Gautam Navlakha in the Bhima Koregaon case.
Navlakha approached the high court last year, challenging the special NIA court’s order of July 12, 2020, that rejected his plea for statutory bail. On December 16 last year, the bench reserved its verdict on the plea seeking default bail filed by Navlakha.
Read more

Also Read: Should Gautam Navlakha’s House Arrest In 2018 Be Included For Computing Period For Default Bail? (Dec 2020)

Elgar organisers back Usmani; BJP demands action against them / 3 SC Lawyers Cleared My Speech: Usmani on FIRs

08/02/2021 Rani

Elgar organisers back Usmani; BJP demands action against them

08/02/2021

Hindustan Times / by Shalaka Shinde

Elgar organisers on Sunday issued a statement showing vehement support to Usmani (23), an activist and a student of Aligarh Muslim University in light of two cases registered against him – one in Pune and one in Lucknow.
Read more

We stand with Sharjeel, say Elgaar Parishad organisers

07/02/2021

The Indian Express / by Express News Service

“Sangh Pariwar again provoked their castiest and communal hatred by targeting Sharjeel. The incident went on to charge Sharjeel for provoking religious sentiments and sedition. We as organizers of the Elgar Parishad are standing firmly with Sharjeel Usmani,” it stated.
Read more

‘3 SC Lawyers Cleared My Speech’: Usmani on FIRs, Sedition Case

06/02/2021

The Quint / by Aishwarya S Iyer

I showed the transcript of my speech to three lawyers… three Supreme Court lawyers. All three of them said that not one word in the entire speech can be commissioned as an offence in any Indian court.”
Despite being cautious of the speech he was going to give at an Elgar Parishad event organised at Pune’s Ganesh Kala Krida Manch on January 30, 23-year-old Sharjeel Usmani has been booked for sedition, other than already being booked under charges of promoting enmity on grounds of religion, due to his ‘provocative’ statements from 30 January.
Read more

Now, Bhujbal miffed at Usmani’s ‘anti-Hindu’ remarks

05/02/2021

The Hindu / by Special Correspondent

Ambedkarite outfit backs student leader.
Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Thursday expressed anger over the alleged ‘anti-Hindu’ remarks of Aligarh Muslim University student leader Sharjeel Usmani in a speech at the second edition of the Elgaar Parishad on January 30 in Pune.
Read more

Sedition Charges filed against Sharjeel Usmani in Lucknow

04/02/2021

The Leaflet / by Rhea Binoy

Days after an FIR was filed against former Aligarh Muslim University student Sharjeel Usmani in Pune, for ‘promoting enmity between different groups’, another FIR has been filed against Usmani in Lucknow, this time with charges of sedition included.
An FIR under few charges, including sedition, has been registered against former Aligarh Muslim University student, Sharjeel Usmani in Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station, in connection to his speech at the Elgar Parishad in Pune.
Read more

What is Elgar Parishad 2021?

04/02/2021

Jagranjosh / by Arfa Javaid

On 30 January 2021, Elgar Parishad event was organised by ‘Bhima Koregaon Shourya Din Prerna Abhiyan’ at Ganesh Krida Kala Manch in Pune’s Swargate area. Two FIRs have been lodged against former AMU student Sharjeel Usmani over his objectionable comments at the Elgar Parishad conclave…
Reacting over the FIR, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh stated that Sharjeel Usmani will be arrested from wherever he is.
Read more

We Pointed Out When Sharjeel Usmani Used Word ‘Hindu’ Instead Of ‘Manuwadi’: Organiser Of Elgar Parishad

04/02/2021

BW Busindessworld / by ANI

We pointed out when Sharjeel Usmani used word ‘Hindu’ instead of ‘Manuwadi’: Organiser of Elgar Parishad.
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], February 4 (ANI): After a case was registered against a former Aligarh Muslim University student in Maharashtra for allegedly delivering a controversial speech at a conclave in Pune, one of the organisers of the event, Retd Justice Kolse Patil said that they pointed it out on stage when the Sharjeel Usmani had used the word ‘Hindu’ instead of ‘Manuwadi’.
Read more

FIR against Muslim student leader Sharjeel Usmani over Elgar Parishad speech

04/02/2021

The Siasat Daily / by Sreshta Ladegaam

Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said that Usmani will be arrested from wherever he is.
Student activist and alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University, Sharjeel Usmani has been booked for his speech at the Elgar Parishad 2021 held in Pune on January 30. The Pune Police registered an FIR against Usmani under Section 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code at Swargate Police Station on Tuesday.
Read more

Sharjeel Usmani booked by Pune Police over ‘provocative speech’ at Elgaar Parishad 2

03/02/2021

The Indian Express / by Express News Service

Usmani has been booked on charges of ‘promoting enmity between different groups’ following a complaint filed by a leader of the BJP’s youth wing.
Pune City police late on Tuesday registered an offence against Sharjeel Usmani, a student leader of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), for the alleged provocative speech delivered by him at ‘Elgaar Parishad 2021’, which was held in the city on January 30.
Read more

HC Reserves Order On Varavara Rao’s Bail On Medical Grounds

01/02/2021 Rani

‘His Crime Is A Crime Of Conscience´: Jaising Argues As Bombay HC Reserves Order On Varavara Rao’s Bail On Medical Grounds

01/02/2021

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

The Bombay High Court on Monday reserved its order on the medical bail pleas of 81-year-old ailing Telugu poet – Dr Varavara Rao – an accused in the Elgar Parishad- Bhima Koregaon case.
His lawyers have sought for the octogenarian to be granted bail and sent back to his home, in Hyderabad, for at least three months, owing to his advanced age and neurological condition. The National Investigating agency and the State have vehemently argued against setting him at liberty due to the serious allegations against him.
Read more

Bombay High Court reserves bail plea order of Varavara Rao

01/02/2021

The New Indian Express / by Sudhir Suryawanshi

Senior Advocate Indira Jaising appearing on behalf of Hemlatha said that Rao has spent 149 days of the 365 days in a year, in a hospital ward.
The Bombay High Court on Monday reserved its order on the medical bail pleas of 81-year-old ailing Telugu poet and activist Varavara Rao, who is an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case.
Read more