Persecution – free them all

Is Devendra Fadnavis planning another crackdown like Bhima-Koregaon?

21/12/2024 Asha

Is Devendra Fadnavis planning another crackdown like Bhima-Koregaon?

21/12/2024

National Herald / by AJ Prabal

Why would the Maharashtra chief minister require a new law to deal with alleged ‘urban Naxals’?
One of the first acts of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has been to introduce a special legislation to deal with ‘urban Naxals’ in the state.
… Recalling the Bhima-Koregaon case lodged in 2018 when Fadnavis was once again chief minister, Yadav suspected that Maharashtra Police could be planning a similar crackdown on political rivals and activists.
Read more

Fadnavis won’t be called for deposing before Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry

19/12/2024

The Indian Express / by Chandan Haygunde

Prakash Ambedkar had submitted a letter in June 2023 to the commission demanding deposition of Fadnavis, Mallick and Suvez Haque, the then superintendent of police, Pune Rural, as witness in connection with the ongoing inquiry into the Koregaon Bhima violence.
The Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry, which is probing into the causes of violence reported in Koregaon Bhima area in Pune district on January 1, 2018, has decided not to call Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for deposing as a witness.
Read more

Also read:
▪ Maharashtra re-introduces Bill to curb ‘urban Naxals’ (Rediff.com / Dec 2024)
▪ A New Bill Shows Maharashtra Wants to Become a Police State Before Combatting Left-Wing Extremism (The Wire / Jul 2024)
▪ Maharashtra: Activists, Lawyers Added to ‘Union War Book’, Listed as ‘Enemies of the State’ (The Wire / Jul 2021)
▪ Transfer of Bhima-Koregaon case to NIA appropriate: Devendra Fadnavis (Deccan Herald / Jan 2020)

Supreme Court adjourns bail plea of Surendra Gadling in 2016 Surjagarh mine arson case

18/12/2024 Asha

Deccan Herald / by pti

A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Aravind Kumar deferred the matter after the counsel appearing for Gadling sought time to go through the reply filed by Maharashtra in the matter.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned till the second week of January the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case.
Read more

Also read:
▪ SC gives Maha govt two weeks time to respond to lawyer Surendra Gadling’s bail plea (Daijiworld / Dec 2024)
▪ Judicial Deliberations: Surendra Gadling’s Awaited Bail in Surjagarh Arson Case (Devdisourse / Nov 2024)
▪ How Long Is Too Long for an Undertrial Prisoner To Be Detained? (The Wire | by Hany Babu & Surendra Gadling | Oct 2024)
▪ Gadchiroli arson case: Supreme Court issues notice in bail plea of Surendra Gadling (The Leaflet / Oct 2023)
▪ Surendra Gadling’s Computer Was Attacked, Incriminating Documents Planted: Arsenal Consulting (The Wire / July 2021)
▪ Now Gadchiroli Police takes custody of Surendra Gadling, P Varavara Rao, prompting senior lawyers to say this is ‘ever-greening of charges’ (The Leaflet / Jan 2019)

Rona Wilson’s bail plea to attend kin’s wedding rejected

18/12/2024 Asha

Elgar accused’s bail plea to attend kin’s wedding rejected

17/12/2024

Times of India / by Rebecca Samervel

A special NIA court had rejected the interim bail plea of activist and Elgar Parishad accused Rona Wilson, who sought his temporary release next month to attend the wedding of his cousin’s daughter. Observing that the relationship between him and the to-be bride is quite distant, the judge said, “His attendance at the marriage is not at all necessary. Application… hereby stands rejected.”
The order was pronounced on Friday but its detailed copy was made available on Tuesday. Wilson is among the eight accused still in custody in the case.
Read more

NIA court refuses bail to activist Rona Wilson

18/12/2024

Hindustan Times / by Revu Suresh

A special NIA court last week rejected the temporary bail plea filed by activist Rona Wilson, who is lodged at the Taloja central jail in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case. Wilson had sought interim bail to attend the wedding ceremony of his niece, from January 6 to January 20, 2025. However, special judge Chakor S Baviskar rejected the plea on December 13, observing that Wilson’s attendance was not at all necessary as the relation was quite distant.
Read more

Also Read:
▪ Meet 10 ‘political prisoners’ of the Narendra Modi regime in jail without trial (Telegraph / Jul 2024)
▪ Bombay HC rejects default bail of five accused in Bhima Koregaon case (Scroll.in / Jul 2024)
▪ Incriminating evidence planted in computers: The Trojan solved the Bhima Koregaon case! (Anchored Narratives / Jan 2023)
▪ Cyber Attackers Who Targeted Rona Wilson Could Have Been Engaged by Same Entity: Report (The Wire / Feb 2022)

Urban Naxal Bogey: Move for Harsher Bill to Curb Civil Rights?

13/12/2024 Asha

The Wire / P. Raman

The government will find it difficult to run roughshod on sensitive issues such as this because of a rejuvenated Opposition and the need for allies’ consent.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacks “urban Naxals”, it surprises many. For it was just this August – less than four months ago – that home minister Amit Shah had declared that the war on Naxalites was nearing its end and left-wing extremism in the country would be wiped out by March 2026.
If the war is in the mopping-up stage, why has Modi intensified his rant? Consider his relentless attacks on extremists and their presumed urban supporters in recent months.
Read more

Also read:
▪ A New Bill Shows Maharashtra Wants to Become a Police State Before Combatting Left-Wing Extremism (The Wire/ Jul 2024)
▪ What is Maharashtra’s new Bill to curb ‘Naxalism in urban areas’? (The Indian Express / Jul 2024)
▪ Maharashtra: Activists, Lawyers Added to ‘Union War Book’, Listed as ‘Enemies of the State’ (The Wire / Jul 2021)
▪ From ‘tukde tukde gang’ to ‘urban Naxal’: How media trials enable the government to stifle dissent (Scroll.in / Sep 2018)
▪ From Anti-National to Urban Naxal: The Trajectory of Dissent in India – How the term Urban Naxal came to being (Newsclick / Sep 2018)

“Not a usual matter”: SC after State seeks adjournment in Surendra Gadling bail plea

04/12/2024 Asha

“Not a usual matter”: Supreme Court after State seeks adjournment in Surendra Gadling bail plea

04/12/2024

Bar & Bench / by Anadi Tewari

The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court had in January rejected the bail plea of lawyer and activist Surendra Gadling in the 2016 Surajgarh arson case
The Supreme Court on Wednesday took exception to the Maharashtra government seeking adjournment in the bail plea filed by lawyer and activist Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surajgarh arson case [Surendra Pundalik Gadling vs State of Maharashtra].
Read more

SC gives Maha govt two weeks time to respond to lawyer Surendra Gadling’s bail plea

04/12/2024

Dajiworld.com / by IANS

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted the Maharashtra government two weeks’ time to file a counter affidavit to the bail plea filed by lawyer Surendra Gadling, who is behind bars in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case.
A bench, headed by Justice M.M. Sundresh, was hearing a special leave petition filed by Gadling against the dismissal of his appeal filed under Section 21(4) of the NIA (National Investigation Agency) Act seeking bail.
Read more

SC defers bail plea of advocate Gadling in 2016 Surjagarh mine arson case

04/12/2024

Business Standard / by ANI

The state sought adjournment on the ground that some documents are yet to be filed
The Supreme Court granted two weeks time to the Maharashtra government on Wednesday to file additional documents on the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case.
Read more

Also read:
▪ Judicial Deliberations: Surendra Gadling’s Awaited Bail in Surjagarh Arson Case (Devdisourse / Nov 2024)
▪ How Long Is Too Long for an Undertrial Prisoner To Be Detained? (The Wire | by Hany Babu & Surendra Gadling | Oct 2024)
▪ Gadchiroli arson case: Supreme Court issues notice in bail plea of Surendra Gadling (The Leaflet / Oct 2023)
▪ Surendra Gadling’s Computer Was Attacked, Incriminating Documents Planted: Arsenal Consulting (The Wire / July 2021)
▪ Now Gadchiroli Police takes custody of Surendra Gadling, P Varavara Rao, prompting senior lawyers to say this is ‘ever-greening of charges’ (The Leaflet / Jan 2019)

Reading The Marginal Spaces Of Prison: Incarceration And Women Political Prisoners

29/11/2024 Asha

Credits: Drawing by Arun Ferreira / The Polis Project

Feminism India / by Anchal Soni

Women in prisons booked under laws like UAPA and the colonial law sedition become a critical site of the exposition of the fallacy of law.
The state as a modern capitalist notion often pursues eliminationist policies to repress dissent. The law in a regime change becomes a repressive state apparatus which functions to crush revolutionary people’s movement and penalise dissent. The identity of a political prisoner thus becomes a contested category with an attempted condensation with criminalisation. The notorious Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was amended in 2019 which is an instrumental act in dealing with the procedures to deal with terrorist activities.
Read more

Also read:

▪ From Phansi Yard: My Year with the Women of Yerawada
Author: Sudha Bhardwaj
Publishing Date: Oct 2023
Publisher: Juggernaut
Pages: 216
Read more / order

▪ How Long Can the Moon Be Caged? Voices of Indian Political Prisoners
Authors: Suchitra Vijayan and Francesca Recchia
Publishing Date: Aug 2023
Publisher: Pluto Press
Pages: 247
Read more / order

▪ Making legal aid effective for women prisoners (The Leaflet / March 2022)
▪ ‘Buzz of a Mosquito… But With the Sound of Grief’: The Lives of India’s Women Prisoners (The Wire / March 2021)
▪ Byculla women’s prison – no bed or ceiling fan and a fear of covid-19 outbreak (Live Mint / Sep 2020)
▪ Women prisoners recount Jail Horror Stories: Rape and torture common in jails (Citizens for Justice and Peace / Jan 2019)

Judicial Deliberations: Surendra Gadling’s Awaited Bail in Surjagarh Arson Case

25/11/2024 Asha

SC defers bail plea of Surendra Gadling in 2016 Surjagarh mine arson case

25/11/2024

The Print / by pti

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned to December 4 the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case.
A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Aravind Kumar deferred the matter after the counsel appearing for the Maharashtra government sought time to file a reply in the matter.
The top court on October 10, 2023, issued notice to the state government and sought its response on the petition within four weeks.
Read more

Judicial Deliberations: Surendra Gadling’s Awaited Bail in Surjagarh Arson Case

25/11/2024

Devdiscourse / by Devdiscourse News Desk

The Supreme Court has postponed the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling in the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case to December 4. Gadling is accused of aiding Maoists in the arson and is also linked to the Elgar Parishad case. His bail had been previously denied.
… The adjournment came after a bench of Justices M M Sundresh and Aravind Kumar agreed to a request from the Maharashtra government’s counsel, who sought more time to prepare a response.
Read more

Also read:
▪ How Long Is Too Long for an Undertrial Prisoner To Be Detained? (The Wire | by Hany Babu & Surendra Gadling | Oct 2024)
▪ Was the trial judge who convicted G.N. Saibaba biased? We will never know, and that is part of the injustice (The Leaflet / March 2024)
▪ Gadchiroli arson case: Supreme Court issues notice in bail plea of Surendra Gadling (The Leaflet / Oct 2023)
▪ Now Gadchiroli Police takes custody of Surendra Gadling, P Varavara Rao, prompting senior lawyers to say this is ‘ever-greening of charges’ (The Leaflet / Jan 2019)

Elgar Parishad Prisoners’ Hunger Strike Marks a Momentous Victory for Prison Rights

11/11/2024 Asha

The Polis Project / by Prashant Rahi

On October 24, the lawyers and activists accused in the Elgar Parishad case were brought to court from Taloja Central Jail for their hearing. This bare minimum satisfaction of their basic legal right to be present for their case had become far from routine. It happened for the first time in nearly two months, after many hearings held in their absence, and despite specific directions from the court for their production. In fact, it took a hunger strike by seven of the accused – the latest of numerous protests by the BK-16 over the denial of bare necessities and basic rights – for the prison administration to concede to their demands.
Read more

Also read:
▪ BK-16 Prison Diaries (By The Polis Project)
▪ Elgar Parishad case accused seeks contempt action against Navi Mumbai cop (India Today / Oct 25, 2024)
▪ Elgaar Parishad case undertrials on protest path for not being produced in court for successive hearings (The Telegraph / Oct 20, 2024)
▪ Not Produced in Court Despite Directions, Seven Elgar Parishad Accused Go on Hunger Strike (The Wire / Oct 18, 2024)

BK-16 Prison Diaries: Varavara Rao on prisons as institutions of corruption, sadism and dehumanisation

10/11/2024 Asha

To mark six years of the arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of political dissidents in the Bhima Koregaon case, The Polis Project is publishing a series of writings by the BK-16, and their families, friends and partners. By describing various aspects of the past six years, the series offers a glimpse into the BK-16’s lives inside prison, as well as the struggles of their loved ones outside. Each piece in the series is complemented by Arun Ferreira’s striking and evocative artwork.

BK-16 Prison Diaries: Varavara Rao on prisons as institutions of corruption, sadism and dehumanisation

16/10/2024

The Polis Project / by Varavara Rao

The term “correctional institutions,” as prisons are sometimes known, is actually a misnomer. It would be more appropriate to term them institutions of sadism, dehumanisation and corruption, given that the whole system is rooted in these practices. The state does not in fact want the prisons to be correctional institutions like those shown in the Hindi films Do Ankhen Barah Haath or Bandini.
Read more

Special NIA Court Allows Activist Gautam Navlakha To Visit Ailing Sister

08/11/2024 Asha

Free Press Journal / by Charul Shah Joshi

On Thursday, the special NIA court allowed activist Gautam Navlakha, who is implicated in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, to go to Delhi for two months to care for his unwell elder sister.
Navlakha had approached the court for modification of the bail order granted last year, which restricted his movement to city limits.
Read more

Also read:
▪ Gautam Navlakha granted bail by Supreme Court; orders him to pay 20 lakhs for the expenses incurred during his house arrest (cjp / May 2024)
▪ Out on bail in Elgaar case, activist Navlakha and partner struggle to rent home in Mumbai (The Indian Express / Jul 2024)
▪ The remedy of bail: From securing liberty to ‘digital jail’ (The Leaflet / Aug 2023)