Photo (centre) taken minutes before Vernon was taken away from the Police in 2018
fb/ by Sagar Abraham-Gonsalves
Today the Bhima Koregaon arrestees were brought to the Sessions Court in Mumbai.
As I made my way to the court along with the daughter of another arrestee, I couldn’t help but notice a feeling of gloom come over me. Even as we spoke to each other in the cab, I had a premonition of the long struggle ahead for both our parents and us. In spite of it being more than a year and a half since these arrests happened, the end seems nowhere in sight. The proceedings in court further reinforced these feelings. Read more
The Right to Dissent is the Most Important Right Granted by the Constitution: Justice Gupta
To question, to challenge, to verify, to ask for accountability from the government is the right of every citizen under the constitution. These rights should never be taken away otherwise we will become an unquestioning moribund society, which will not be able to develop any further.
Justice Deepak Gupta delivered a lecture at an event organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association on February 24, 2020. The following is the full text of that lecture. Read more
Stan Swamy: Six months of being hunted, yet not vanquished
The second half of 2019 was both a very trying but sobering experience for me. Jharkhand police was after me and I was after the police! The difference was the police acted illegally and I acted legally …
An enduring pain within me has been whereas I have been privileged to have so many contacts where I could go, be protected and take on the State govt in court and get legal protection, whereas so many innocent persons who have been unjustly imprisoned and are still languishing in jails. And when I think of Bhima-Koregaon case, in which also I’m implicated as a “suspected accused”, so many eminent intellectuals, lawyers, poets, human rights defenders are still behind bars. Read more
Front Line Defenders: Case transferred to NIA to compromise independent probe
Front Line Defenders, an international human rights organisation that highlights the plight of human rights activists and defenders facing persecution from hostile regimes, has come out in support of those facing vindictive and malicious prosecution in the Bhima Koregaon case. They have questioned the motives of the central government in transferring the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), especially given the timing of the transfer. Read more
Why Modi and Shah Took the Bhima Koregaon Investigation Away From Maharashtra
A two decade-long history of using false allegations, faked evidence, videos and news to manipulate public sentiment proves that the BJP will stop at nothing to ensure its return to power.
At first sight, the Centre’s decision to whisk the case against nine well known and respected civil rights activists, of inciting rebellion against the Indian State at the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle on January 1, 2018, and give it to the National Investigation Agency looks like another high-handed act by a government that has shown little regard for the Constitution, the law, and due process so far. Read more
Pune: A former Bombay high court judge, who was one of the organisers of the Elgar Parishad conclave, an event that allegedly triggered caste violence in Koregaon-Bhima, on Monday said an National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe was not needed in the matter and warned of legal action against the Centre’s move. Read more
Elgaar organisers to challenge case transfer to National Investigation Agency
Eminent judges behind the mega event are convinced that move is an attempt at subterfuge.
Calling the transfer of the Elgaar Parishad case to National Investigation Agency (NIA) as a blatant delaying tactic to suppress the truth, the organisers of the event have declared that they will be moving Supreme Court, challenging this decision of the union government. Read more
‘RELEASE ACTIVISTS, NO NEED FOR NIA PROBE’
28/01/2020
The Hindu / by Shoumojit Banerjee
Former Bombay High Court judge, Justice (retired) B.G. Kolse-Patil on Monday lashed out at the Union Home Ministry’s sudden decision to transfer the investigation into the Elgaar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon cases to National Investigation Agency (NIA), alleging that the Narendra Modi government feared an expose of the “false probe” conducted by the Maharashtra police. Read more
Transfer of case to NIA to ‘cover-up’ falsehoods of previous BJP govt: CPI
NEW DELHI: Condemning the transfer of the Bhima-Koregaon case from Pune police to NIA, the CPI on Monday alleged that the purpose of the move was to “cover up” the “falsehoods and wrongdoings” of the previous BJP government.
The case was being probed by the Pune police and the Centre’s decision to hand over the Koregaon-Bhima probe to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday came under severe criticism from both the Congress and the NCP. Read more
Anyone Opposing Modi, Shah is an Urban Naxal: Rahul on Bhima Case
In a surprising development on Friday, 24 January, the central government transferred the Bhima-Koregaon case to the national investigating agency (NIA).
The move drew sharp reactions from the Maharashtra government who accused the Centre of taking the decision without the consent of the state government, adding that the decision was “against the Constitution”. Read more
American Bar Association Welcomes Home Minister´s Announcement
#FairTrialForBhimaKoregaon / by ABA Justice Defenders
American Bar Association: We are excited to hear that the Maharashtra Home Minister has called for a report on the #BhimaKoregaon cases. Check out our preliminary fair trial report:
The Preliminary Fair Trial Report: Bhima Koregaon
Oct 2019