The Supreme Court on Friday posted the bail application of academician Vernon Gonsalves, accused in the Elgar Parishad case, for hearing in the second week of January.
The Bench led by Justice Ravindra Bhat ruled that it will take up the bail petition of Gonsalves along with the bail plea of Activist Arun Ferreira, also an accused in the Elgar Parishad Maoist link case. Read more
Bhima Koregaon Accused (BK16) | 1 Dead, 1 on House Arrest, 3 on Bail: What of the Rest?
The remaining 11 continue to languish in jail — Who are they and what is the status of the case against them?
Anti-caste writer Anand Teltumbde, who walked out of jail on Saturday, 26 November, after he was granted bail on merits in connection with the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case said:
“I am definitely happy. It has been 30 months that I have been in prison. The sad part, however, is that we had to spend time in jail after being booked in a fake case.”
In the same case, two others, poet Varavara Rao and lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj – were granted bail earlier due to different reasons, while academic Gautam Navlakha was allowed house arrest on health grounds by a 19 November Supreme Court order. Read more
Citing the Supreme Court direction to decide on framing of charges and discharge pleas of the accused within three months, the court also said it will begin hearing the discharge applications of four accused from next week.
The special court hearing the Elgaar Parishad case directed an officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to remain present before it for a report on the pending issue of providing cloned copies of electronic devices to all the accused. Read more
Special Court Rejects Arun Ferreira’s Plea For Copy Orders Authorising Email Interception By NIA
Special Court Rejects Arun Ferreira’s Plea For Copy Orders Authorising Email Interception By NIA
23/08/2022
Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim
A special NIA has rejected the application filed by lawyer Arun Ferreira, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, alleging that NIA illegally intercepted emails exchanged between him and co-accused Rona Wilson and used it as evidence. Ferreira had sought a copy of the order permitting the agency to intercept their emails.
The court however allowed accused lawyer Surendra Gadling’s plea against the obstruction by prison officials from receiving letters and personal communications sent by his wife and advocates to him at the prison. Read more
Special court rejects Arun Ferreira’s plea against NIA
23/08/2022
Free Press Journal / by Staff Reporter
A special court on Monday rejected an application by lawyer and accused in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgaar Parishad case, Arun Ferreira, in which he had claimed illegal interception by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of some emails, which it later used as evidence…
In a separate development, the court directed the Taloja prison authorities to hand over to lawyer and Ferreira’s co-accused Surendra Gadling his letters from his wife, which he complained were held back by it. Read more
Plea of Elgaar Parishad accused for ‘order authorising email interception’ rejected
23/08/2022
The Indian Express / by Express News Service
A special court rejected Arun Ferreira application after the NIA denied any illegal interception and said the emails were accessed using a password found on a device seized from Rona Wilson, another accused.
After the NIA denied Elgaar Parishad case accused Arun Ferreira’s allegation that some emails it had relied on as evidence had been illegally intercepted, a special court on Monday rejected his application for the investigative agency to provide “the competent authority’s order issued for intercepting emails”. Read more
Of 16 Arrested Accused in Elgar Parishad Case, One Dead, Two Out on Bail and Rest in Jail
19/08/2022
The Wire / by pti
With the Supreme Court stipulating that charges in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case be framed within the next three months, the focus has shifted now to the status of the accused.
With the Supreme Court stipulating that charges in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case be framed within the next three months, the focus has shifted now to the status of the accused.
In the case that is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), of the total 16 arrested accused, Jesuit priest Stan Swamy died at a private hospital here last year during judicial custody, while Telugu poet Varavara Rao is currently out on medical bail. Only one accused – Sudha Bharadwaj – is out on regular bail. Read more
Arun Ferreira Approaches Bombay High Court For Default Bail
19/08/2022
Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim
Activist Arun Ferreira, an accused in Bhima Koregaon – Elgar Parishad case, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking default bail.
Ferreira’s plea was listed before a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Sharmila Deshmukh on Friday, however, Justice Dere has already recused from hearing any matters in the case.
In the criminal appeal under section 21(4) of the NIA Act, Ferreira claims that his position is at par with co-accused Sudha Bharadwaj who was granted default bail by the High Court in December last year, while he and eight of his co-accused were denied the relief. Read more
Arun Ferreira Moves Bombay High Court seeking default bail; Justice Revati Mohite Dere recuses
19/08/2022
Bar & Bench / by Neha Joshi
The accused in the 2018 riots case has sought an order from the High Court on the same grounds used by the court in the order granting default bail to co-accused Sudha Bharadwaj in December 2021.
The petition was listed before Bench led by Justice Revati Mohite Dere who recused from hearing the matter on Friday, without assigning any reason. The appeal will now be heard by another Bench. Read more
Arun Ferreira seeks default bail, judge recuses from hearing case
19/08/2022
Free Press Journal / by Staff Reporter
Arun Ferreira, one of the accused in the Elgar Parishad case, has sought default bail on parity with co-accused Sudha Bharadwaj in the case. Bhardwaj was granted default bail by the Bombay High Court on December 1, 2021.
On Friday, Ferreira’s petition came up for hearing before a division bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sharmila Deshmukh. However, Justice Dere recused herself from hearing the plea without assigning any reason. Read more
Lyrics by Shahir Sagar Gorkhe, sung by Adv Surendra Gadling Watch video
PEN AMERICA, WITH 102 INTERNATIONAL WRITERS AND ARTISTS, CALLS FOR INDIA TO UPHOLD THE FREEDOM TO WRITE AHEAD OF 75TH INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION
15/08/2022
Pen.org / by PEN America
Raises Ongoing Concerns About Fraying of Free Expression and Jailing and Silencing of Writers
(NEW YORK)—As India marks 75 years of independence today, 102 notable U.S. and international writers and creative artists, including Marina Abramovic, Paul Auster, J.M. Coetzee, Jennifer Egan, Jonathan Franzen, Azar Nafisi, and Orhan Pamuk, joined PEN America and PEN International in signing a letter to Indian President Droupadi Murmu, raising concern over the deterioration of free expression and calling for the release of imprisoned writers and dissident and critical voices…
Seven of the eight writers in prison in India during 2021 have been detained in connection with the ongoing Elgar Parishad case, concerning a deadly inter-caste altercation in the village of Bhima Koregaon in 2018. In response, state- and national-level authorities detained a broad swathe of leftist writers and intellectuals, accusing them of inciting the violence and of links to banned groups. Read full statement
INDIA AT 75 | CONTRIBUTORS S – Z
15/08/2022
PEN America / by Siddhartha Deb
…
Siddhartha Deb
I am not allowed to say the name of the person who told me, years ago: “India is not a nation. It is a prisonhouse of all possible nations.” Now this person is incarcerated, but I can’t describe the specifics of their suffering…
I can say the name of Stan Swamy, incarcerated and, eventually, killed by the Indian state on July 5, 2021. I can say his name because his life, if not his memory, is beyond the reach of the prisonhouse. Father Stan, dead at 84 because those running India are terrified of a Jesuit priest whose life was dedicated to working with indigenous people brutalized by Hindutva, the state, and the market. Read more
Our friend Mahesh is spending his 5th Independence Day in the prison with all the other activists in the Elgar Parishad case. They await their freedom. Please spare a thought for each one of them.
51- year-old Gadling, a well-known criminal lawyer in Nagpur, was once a cultural activist, who sang songs of political resistance. The 11- minutes- long rendition tells you what it means to be incarcerated in Indian prisons. From food, water, to medical care, everything is a struggle, Gadling narrates. The song was recorded by one of Gadling’s colleagues and was made available to The Wire after obtaining his consent.
He was not at Bhima Koregaon when violence occurred, and yet he is festering in jail. For his family, at the receiving end of the social stigma surrounding the ‘anti-national’ tag, the only balm is Him
The story of Arun Ferreira has four principal characters: Wife, Son, and Mother and Mother-in-law – both in their eighties. None of them will be named; their thoughts and emotions will be imagined from information gathered from diverse sources. The story has also a fifth character: Police. Read more
Surendra Gadling seeks time to reply to ED’s notice to record his statement
31/07/2022
The Leaflet / by Sarah Thanawala
Arun Ferreira files application to seek production of order on the seizure of emails; Gautam Navlakha gives rejoinder to NIA’s arguments against his bail application
On July 28, the Enforcement Directorate (‘ED’) approached the special National Investigation (‘NIA’) court, presided by Special Judge Rajesh Kataria, seeking permission to record human rights lawyer and Dalit rights activist Surendra Gadling’s statement for his alleged connection with money laundering. Read more
ED moves NIA Court to question accused Surendra Gadling in money laundering case
30/07/2022
Bar & Bench / by Satyendra Wankhade
The Special NIA Court has granted time to Gadling to respond to ED’s application by August 10.
A special court in Mumbai on Friday granted Surendra Gadling – one of the accused in the Bhima Koregaon case — time to reply to the application filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seeking to record his statement in connection with a money laundering case registered by the agency last year in which he is allegedly a prime suspect. Read more
ED To Investigate Bhima Koregaon Accused For Money Laundering, Seeks Permission To Record Surendra Gadling’s Statement
30/07/2022
Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim
Over four and a half years after the Bhima Koregaon – Elgar Parishad caste violence incident, the Enforcement Directorate is pursuing money laundering proceedings against certain civil liberties activists accused in the case.
The ED has approached the Special Court in Mumbai seeking permission to record accused Advocate Surendra Gadling’s statement under section 50(2) of the PMLA Act regarding an ECIR registered last year. Read more
Now, ED Wants to Probe Elgar Parishad Case, Accuses Surendra Gadling of ‘Money Laundering’
29/07/2022
The Wire / by Sukanya Shantha
The central agency has sought permission from a court in Mumbai to investigate into the enforcement case information report (ECIR) registered against the activist in March 2021.
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday, July 28, moved an application before a special court seeking permission to question Surendra Gadling, one of the activists jailed in the Elgar Parishad case, in connection with an enforcement case information report (ECIR) registered against him in March 2021.
The Nagpur-based human rights activist has already been in jail for four years and will now be probed by ED in a “money laundering” case. Read more
Enforcement Directorate seeks to record Surendra Gadling’s statement
29/07/2022
The Indian Express / by Sadaf Modak
The ED approached a special court stating that the investigators want to record his statement in jail and sought permission for it. The court issued notice to Gadling to reply to ED’s plea. It is likely to be heard on Friday. Read more
The National Investigation Agency, however, contended that the emails were not intercepted, but were downloaded during the investigation by following due procedure.
Activist Arun Ferreira, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, told a special court here on Friday, July 29, that the electronic evidence (emails), relied on by the prosecution as evidence in the case, was obtained “without proper authorisation”.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), however, contended that the emails were not intercepted, but were downloaded during the investigation by following due procedure. Read more
Elgar Parishad case: Accused claims emails intercepted without valid authorisation
30/07/2022
Hindustan Times / by Charul Shah
While arguing his plea on Friday, Ferreira said that the court hast scheduled the case for framing of charges hence before trial began, the should be provided with a copy of the order.
Arun Ferreira, one of the accused in the Elgar Parishad case, on Friday alleged that the email recovered from the devices of accused Rona Wilson by the prosecutions was intercepted without any valid authorisation. Read more
ED moves NIA Court to question accused Surendra Gadling in money laundering case
30/07/2022
Bar & Bench / by Satyendra Wankhade
The Special NIA Court has granted time to Gadling to respond to ED’s application by August 10.
… Meanwhile Arun Ferreira – another accused in the Elgaar Parishad case – on Friday told a special court that certain emails relied upon by the prosecution as evidence were intercepted without authorisation as the National Investigating Agency (NIA) had not provided an order from a competent authority regarding their interception. Read more
by Panther Ajay
