Persecution – Page 86 – free them all

NIA Arrests Adivasi Rights Activist Stan Swamy in Elgar Parishad Case / Statements by Stan Swamy

09/10/2020 Rani

NIA Arrests 83-Year-Old Tribal Rights Activist Stan Swamy in Elgar Parishad Case

08/10/2020

The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha

Swamy has been questioned in the case on multiple occasions.
Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken 83-year-old Jharkhand-based tribal rights activist and Jesuit priest Father Stan Swamy into custody. Swamy, who has been questioned at multiple occasions, is the 16th person taken into custody since June 2018 in connection with the ongoing investigation in the Elgar Parishad case. Swamy, who is suffering from multiple ailments, is the oldest person to be arrested in the case so far.
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Video: Testimony of Stan Swamy, 6 October 2020

en | 7:48 min | Oct 6, 2020
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Statement by Stan Swamy, Morning 8th of Oct

Democracy in Higher Education, Social Justice and the Importance of Hany Babu

08/10/2020 Maya

Delhi, Aug 2020

Countercurrents / by Dr Ajay S Sekher

We are going through one of the most dismal times in the history of post-independence India. Anyone who resists, anyone who speaks for the greater common good, for truth and justice, is getting hounded. Hate campaigns are unleashed against them or they are implicated under fabricated charges and thrown into prison.
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Soni Sori Tested Positive – But NIA Made Her Travel for Questioning

04/10/2020 Rani

The Wire / Sukanya Shantha

Mumbai: A fortnight ago, tribal rights champion Soni Sori found herself in quite a conundrum…
While the Jagdalpur team of the NIA refused to take Sori’s health condition seriously, its Bombay team, investigating the 2018 Elgar Parishad’s case, cancelled its scheduled questioning last week. Sori, who was one of the many guest speakers at the Elgar Parishad event… was to be questioned by the NIA. A team of officers had reportedly traveled to Dantewada but decided to return on finding out about her health condition. The team spoke to Sori on the phone instead and has rescheduled a visit to Dantewada to the coming week.
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Case against activist Sudha Bharadwaj – Why SC turned down her bail plea

27/09/2020 Rani

The Indian Express/ by Sadaf Modak

On Thursday, the Supreme Court turned down activist Sudha Bharadwaj’s application for interim bail. The court said that since the plea was on medical grounds, it will not be able to entertain it as the medical report did not back her claims. It, however, said Bharadwaj has a “good case on merits”.
What is the case in which Sudha Bharadwaj and 14 others are arrested?
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+++ Correction: Letters implicating Sudha Bharadwaj were found on the computer of Rona Wilson. The Caravan conducted a cyber-forensic examination of the contents of Wilson’s hard disk, a copy of the disk that was presented in court by the Pune Police and supplied to all the accused. Our investigation revealed that the disk contained malware that can be used to remotely access the computer and plant files. We also found several other discrepancies, pointing towards manipulation of evidence in the case. +++

Sudha Bharadwaj’s bail plea on medical grounds withdrawn, SC asks her to file one on merits

24/09/2020 Maya

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

The top court said that she had a ‘good case’ for bail on merits and that she should file a plea on those grounds instead.
Lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj on Thursday withdrew her interim bail plea on medical grounds after the Supreme Court refused to entertain her petition in the Bhima Koregaon case, reported The Hindu. Bharadwaj is currently imprisoned at the Byculla Women’s prison in Mumbai.
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“You Have Good Case On Merits”, Remarks SC, Allows Sudha Bhardhwaj To Withdraw Her Plea For Interim Bail On Medical Grounds

Live Law / by Mehal Jain

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed as withdrawn activist-lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj’s plea for interim bail, granting liberty to approach the court again if need arises.
“I am an undertrial in custody since 2 years. Even the charges have not been framed. I am 58 years old and I am seeking your indulgence for interim bail on medical grounds…”, submitted Senior Advocate Vrinda Grover for the petitioner.
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Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor and Jyoti Jagtap sent to judicial custody

19/09/2020 Rani

Free Press Journal / by Bhavna Uchil

Mumbai: After spending around 10 days in the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) custody, Kabir Kala Manch members Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor and Jyoti Jagtap have been remanded in judicial custody by a special court on Saturday till 3 October.
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Update by Kabir Kala Manch: Next court date 3rd October. Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichore will be shifted to Taloja jail and Jyoti Jagtap to Byculla jail.

Maharashtra: Families of Prison Inmates Worried / Lockdown for some, lockup for others

16/09/2020 Rani

Read PUCL Report: Imprisoned and Unsave

Lockdown for some, lockup for others

Deccan Chronicle / by Bela Bhatia

More humane provisions are needed for prisoners, including political prisoners and those charged under special laws.
It is obvious that the threat of the coronavirus, a communicable disease, is worst in places of high population density. The prison is one such place. About half a million persons are incarcerated in more than 1,300 jails scattered all over India. More than two thirds are undertrials… It is only high-profile cases like those of Binayak Sen, Varavara Rao and others incarcerated in the Bhima Koregaon case that attract national or even international attention. While this attention is justified, most people do not realise that thousands of powerless, impoverished people face similar or worse injustice.
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Maharashtra: Families of Prison Inmates with Co-morbidities and Age Issues Worried

News Click / by Varsha Torgalkar

Activists have been demanding the release of prisoners on health grounds. So far, six inmates have died of COVID-19 in prisons across state and 1,772 prisoners have tested positive out of total 11,267 tests conducted as per the Prison Department data.
Pune: On July 12, poet and activist Varavara Rao’s daughter addressed a press conference saying, “My father, Varavara Rao, an 81 years old poet, blabbered about his father’s funeral which was held 75 years ago. Whatever he talked was incoherent during the weekly call from prison to family. His co-prisoner, Vernon Gonsalves, told us that he is in no condition to walk and carry out his daily works,” The family had panicked after the call and held the press conference the next day.
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Byculla women’s prison – no bed or ceiling fan and a fear of covid-19 outbreak

14/09/2020 Maya

Live Mint / by Omkar Khandekar

The Byculla women’s prison complex has several high profile prisoners apart from the actor Rhea Chakraborty, including Shoma Sen, Sudha Bharadwaj and Indrani Mukherjea.
… Despite the opacity around India’s custody and incarceration system, reports over the years on the condition inside paint a poor picture of the prison.
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Maharashtra Govt Considers Setting Up an SIT in Bhima Koregaon Case

13/09/2020 Rani

Maharashtra Govt Ponders SIT in Bhima Koregaon Case: What Message Is It Sending?

13/09/2020

Newsclick / by Amey Tirodkar

JV Pawar, senior author, activist and one of the founders of the Dalit Panthers movement, however, questioned the timing of this move.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and kingmaker of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Sharad Pawar, on Thursday held a high-level meeting with ministers from NCP, Congress, and senior officers from the home department. Pawar took stock of progress of the probe in the Bhima Koregaon case.
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Bhima Koregaon violence: Pawar wants bigger picture

12/09/2020

Rediff.com / by Prasanna D Zore

Dr Raut, who was at the meeting called by Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar to consider formation of a special investigation team to probe the Bhima Koregaon violence, reveals to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com what was discussed at the meeting.
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Sharad Pawar Once Again Considers Setting Up an SIT in the Elgar Parishad Case

11/09/2020

The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha

The Nationalist Congress Party chief had convened an urgent meeting on the matter in Mumbai on September 10.
Mumbai: The Maharashtra state government is once again mulling over the possibility of setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the violence that broke at Bhima Koregaon on January 1, 2018.
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NIA Court Extends Police Custody Of 3 Kabir Kala Manch Members Till Sep 19

11/09/2020 Rani

Live Law / by Live Law News Network

A special court in Mumbai on Friday extended till September 19 the NIA remand of three members of Kabir Kala Manch arrested in connection with the Koregaon Bhima – Elgar Parishad case.
Sagar Tatyaram Gorkhe (32), Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor (36) and Jyoti Raghoba Jagtap (33), who were arrested earlier this week, were produced before special NIA Judge D E Kothalikar on Friday after their first remand period of four days ended.
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KKM arrests raise a question on democracy, says Sagar Gorkhe’s partner Rupali Jadhav

11/09/2020

Free Press Journal / by Bhavna Uchil

In a video recorded just before they were arrested by the National Investigation Agency on Monday, Sagar Gorkhe can be heard saying that the agency had asked him and fellow Kabir Kala Manch member Ramesh Gaichor to give confessions that they are linked with Maoists and if they do so, they will be spared arrests. They said they refused it.
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