The deterioration of the 84-year-old in Taloja Jail was evident. Jail medical staff watched it happen, recalls a fellow prisoner.
Ferreira was incarcerated along with Swamy in the prison hospital. He has been now released on bail on conditions, one of which disallows him from commenting about the case in the media.
“This is not a natural death, but the institutional murder of a gentle soul,” reads the statement by the family members of the people accused in the Elgar Parishad case that was released immediately after Father Stan Swamy’s death on July 5, 2021.
Some may consider these words a bit too harsh given Stan’s age (he was 84) and health (he had Parkison’s disease). However observing and experiencing the callous treatment meted out to Stan at Taloja Prison, I am inclined to endorse their view. Read more
‘Tell the judge he has done no crime’: The struggles of Hany Babu’s family
On July 28, Delhi University professor 57-year-old Hany Babu will complete five years of incarceration.
When the National Investigation Agency came for Babu in 2020, India was battling the Covid-19 virus, which is known to fester and multiply in densely packed spaces, such as prison cells.
The Delhi University professor, arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case, has been in jail for five years with no trial in sight. Read more
Symptoms cited to meet ailing father ‘common for almost every senior citizen’: Mumbai court denies interim bail for Ramesh Gaichor
03/07/2025
The India Express / by Sadaf Modak
Ramesh Gaichor has been in jail since 2020 over alleged Maoist affiliation in the Elgaar Parishad case and sought interim bail for two weeks to meets his father.
A special court in Mumbai Tueday denied interim bail for two weeks sought by an accused in the Elgaar Parishad case, citing that symptoms suffered by his father are “quite common for almost every senior citizen”. Read more
A special NIA court in Mumbai on Tuesday denied interim bail to Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor, one of the accused in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case [Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor v National Investigation Agency]
Gaichor had sought a two-week temporary release to visit his ailing father. Read more
▪ WE ARE CHILDREN OF AMBEDKAR: Shahir Ramesh and Sagar hindi/english subtitles | 07:26min | 2020
Shahir Sagar Gorkhe and Shahir Ramesh Gaichor, prominent members of Bhima Koregaon Shauryadin Prerna Abhiyan and Kabir Kala Manch, found themselves at the receiving end of the BJP government’s actions when they were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on 7th September 2020.
Both Shahir Sagar Gorkhe and Shahir Ramesh Gaichor have asserted that the NIA forced them to provide false testimony against those already arrested. They were coerced into writing confessional statements seeking forgiveness and implicating other individuals in the case. However, their steadfast refusal to comply with these unjust demands has put them at risk of being arrested by the NIA.
In a recorded video statement, Sagar emphasized their commitment to following the constitution and their allegiance to Dr. Ambedkar, stating, “We aren’t progenies of Savarkar but are children of Dr. Ambedkar. Confessing to things we have never done is out of the question.”
Mahesh Raut, a TISS alumnus and rights activist working for Adivasis and marginalised communities, was arrested in June 2018 in the Bhima-Koregaon Maoist conspiracy case and has since been incarcerated in jail
Taloja Central Prison, located in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, houses primarily male undertrial prisoners under the jurisdiction of various courts in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (eg., Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Panvel and Belapur Courts). Like many prisons across India, Taloja is severely overcrowded, accommodating thrice its sanctioned capacity. As an undertrial prisoner at Taloja, confined in Yard 03 (referred to as ‘Baba Barrack’), which includes separate barracks for male prisoners aged 18 to 23, my curiosity was stirred by the rising number of young inmates here and the socio-economic realities leading to their incarceration. Read more
The bench said that the applicant cannot seek urgent listing during the vacations when he could have approached the Court during the regular working days.
… Last month, the High Court observed that the Supreme Court’s order allowing the withdrawal did not reserve his liberty to approach the High Court. Hence, the High Court said that Babu was required to seek clarification from the Supreme Court. Read more
Special NIA Court Dismisses Gautam Navlakha’s Plea To Reside In Delhi
20/06/2025
Live Law / by Narsi Benwal
A special NIA court in Mumbai on Thursday (June 19) rejected an application filed by human rights’ activist Gautam Navlakha, who sought permission of the court to leave Mumbai and reside in Delhi permanently till the culmination of the trial in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case. Special Judge Chakor Baviskar said traveling beyond the jurisdiction of the Court is one thing and residing permanently beyond the jurisdiction of the Court, is all together different thing. Read more [Read order]
Bhima Koregaon case: Court rejects activist Gautam Navlakha’s plea to live in Delhi
20/06/2025
Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff
The 70-year-old activist was granted bail in May 2024, but was directed to reside in Mumbai.
A Mumbai court on Thursday rejected human rights activist Gautam Navlakha’s petition seeking permission to live in Delhi during the pendency of his trial in the Bhima Koregaon case, reported Live Law. Read more
Mumbai court rejects plea by Gautam Navlakha to relocate to Delhi
20/06/2025
Bar & Bench / by Sahyaja MS
Navlakha had filed an application requesting relief from the condition that restricts him from leaving the jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court.
A special NIA court in Mumbai on Thursday rejected a plea by activist and accused in Bhima Koregaon violence, Gautam Navlakha, seeking permission to permanently relocate to Delhi. [Gautam Navlakha v National Investigation Agency] Read more [Read order]
Court rejects journalist Gautam Navlakha’s plea, says he can’t permanently stay in Delhi
20/06/2025
The Times of India / by Rebecca Samervel
Observing that “permanently residing outside the court’s jurisdiction is a completely separate matter from merely travelling beyond it”, a special NIA court on Thursday rejected a plea by journalist Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case, seeking permission to permanently reside in Delhi.
Citing financial strain, unemployment, and an ailing 86-year-old sister, Navlakha moved the plea in April. “Since HC has not granted such liberty either to the accused or to this court as well, this unnecessary application deserves to be rejected,” the judge said. Read more
Court rejects Navlakha’s plea for nod to reside in Delhi during pendency of case
19/06/2024
The Indian Express / by Express News Service
Elgaar Parishad accused had cited expenses in Mumbai
A special court on Thursday rejected a plea filed by journalist-activist Gautam Navlakha, booked in the Elgaar Parishad case, seeking permission to reside in New Delhi during the pendency of the case.
Navlakha was directed not to leave the jurisdiction of the Mumbai court without permission, as part of his bail conditions set by the Bombay High Court. Read more
Over her four-year tenure in the court, Trivedi developed a reputation for rarely granting bail, locking horns with lawyers, and favouring the BJP.
Trivedi was elevated to the Supreme Court from the Gujarat High Court in August 2021. According to a study by the Supreme Court Observer, till October 2024, almost 40% of the judgements authored by her as a Supreme Court judge were in criminal law matters – an unusually large number.
Her track record in many of these showed that she went against the oft-repeated adage by the Supreme Court that “bail is the rule, jail is the exception”. Read more
HC questions maintainability of Hany Babu’s fresh bail plea
18/05/2025
Hindustan Times / by Karuna Nidhi
Additional solicitor-general Anil Singh, appearing for the NIA, raised preliminary objections over the maintainability of the application, citing a delay of more than two years and four months in its filing after the NIA court on February 14, 2022 rejected Babu’s bail application
The Bombay high court earlier this month questioned the maintainability of the fresh bail application filed on June 10, 2024, by former Delhi University (DU) professor Hany Babu, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case. Read more
Bombay High Court Asks Hany Babu To Seek Clarification From SC Regarding Forum To Approach For Seeking Anticipatory Bail
03/05/2025
Live Law / by Narsi Benwal
The Bombay High Court on Friday asked former Delhi University Professor Hany Babu, an accused in the Bhima-Koregaon Elgar Parishad case, to seek clarification from the Supreme Court as to whether he should be approaching the HC or the Special Court for afresh bail.
This comes while the bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari and Kamal Khata commenced hearing Babu’s appeal challenging an order passed by the Special NIA court in February 2022, denying him bail. Read more
Thread by Live Law / @LiveLawIndia (May 2, 2025):
Bombay High Court has asked former Delhi University Professor Hany Babu, an accused in the Bhima-Koregaon Elgar Parishad case, to seek clarification from the Supreme Court as to whether he should be approaching either the HC or the Special Court for afresh bail. #BombayHighCourt #HanyBabu
This comes while the bench of Justices Ajay Gadkari & Kamal Khata commenced hearing his appeal challenging an order passed by the Special NIA court in February 2022, denying him bail.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh for the NIA raised a preliminary objection stating that if the SC has granted him liberty to seek afresh bail, then he must approach the Special Court and not the HC.
Dr Yug Chaudhary for Hany Babu, however, opposed the objection. He said that he is ready to give up his arguments on merits for the moment and would argue only on the point of delay since his client has been behind the bars for 4 years 9 months now.
“This is a constitutional court and nothing can stop it from hearing my plea for bail on point of delay since my right to life and liberty is being violated,” Chaudhary told the judges.
However, the judges too prima facie, opined that there is no liberty granted by the SC (by its April 3, 2024) order to Hany Babu to file an appeal before the HC. It therefore, asked Babu to seek clarification from the SC and has adjourned the hearing.
Mahesh Raut, a TISS alumnus and rights activist working for Adivasis and marginalised communities, was arrested in June 2018 in the Bhima-Koregaon Maoist conspiracy case and has since been incarcerated in jail
Taloja Central Prison, located in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, houses primarily male undertrial prisoners under the jurisdiction of various courts in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (e.g., Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Panvel and Belapur Courts). Like many prisons across India, Taloja is severely overcrowded, accommodating thrice its sanctioned capacity. As an undertrial prisoner at Taloja, confined in Yard 03 (referred to as ‘Baba Barrack’), which includes separate barracks for male prisoners aged 18 to 23, my curiosity was stirred by the rising number of young inmates here and the socio-economic realities leading to their incarceration. Read more
▪ From Phansi Yard: My Year with the Women of Yerawada
Author: Sudha Bhardwaj
Publishing Date: Oct 2023
Publisher: Juggernaut
Pages: 216 Read more / order
BK-16 Prison Diaries | The ‘ordinary’ in extraordinary times: A captive’s life in Covid-19
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.
Credits: Drawing by Arun Ferreira / The Polis Project
BK-16 Prison Diaries: The ‘ordinary’ in extraordinary times: A captive’s life in Covid-19
14/05/2025
The Polis Project / by Gautam Navlakha
My journey as a captive began in extraordinary circumstances. The Covid-19 pandemic had afflicted the world and, in India, a countrywide lockdown was imposed on March 24, 2020. Travel by rail, road or air was suspended. A climate of fear and uncertainty prevailed. However, the Supreme Court had asked Anand Teltumbde and me to surrender before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) by April 14—incidentally, Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary. Anand presented himself before the NIA in Mumbai, while I, a resident of Delhi, surrendered myself at the NIA headquarters in New Delhi. Read more
