Rona Wilson – Page 7 – free them all

The Security Playbook Used To Erode Democracy In Modi’s India & How The Tide Might Turn

04/03/2022 Asha

article 14 / by Shamik Bag

By using security laws, deploying surveillance technology, and leveraging potent national interest narratives, Narendra Modi’s Hindu-first government has targeted critics and eroded the rule of law in India—often in violation of the Constitution, using legal loopholes and grey areas. Through the lens of the notorious Bhima Koregaon case, we investigate these tactics in-depth, and report how citizens are fighting to preserve the world’s largest democracy.
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After Two Justices Recuse From Hearing Case, Chief Justice Agrees To Constitute New Bench

25/02/2022 Asha

After Justices PB Varale And SS Shinde Recuse From Hearing Bhima Koregaon Case, Chief Justice Agrees To Constitute New Bench

25/02/2022

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

After two judges recused themselves from hearing petitions arising out of the Bhima Koregaon – Elgar Parishad Case, Chief Justice Dipankar Datta of the Bombay high Court said a third bench would be constituted to hear the cases at the earliest.
After Justice PB Varale’s bench, that has the criminal assignment, recused from hearing matters earlier this month, the alternate bench of Justice SS Shinde also recused from taking up petitions connected to the case.
Justice Shinde, however, will hear the interim application filed by Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira and Varavara Rao seeking bail and factual corrections in his order refusing them default bail.
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Judge recuses from Elgar Parishad cases, new bench to hear pleas

25/02/2022

India Today / by Vidya

The new Bench, comprising Justice SB Shukre and AB Borkar, will hear all pleas related to the Elgar Parishad from here on.
Anew Bench of the Bombay High Court will now hear all the pleas related to the Elgar Parishad case after a judge recused himself from the case in which several arrests have been made since 2018.
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Jusitce SS Shinde of Bombay High Court Recuses hearing Bhima Koregaon cases

24/02/2022

Bar & Bench / by Neha Joshi

Sources told Bar & Bench that Justice Shinde will continue hearing the plea filed by three accused in the case seeking review of his own judgment refusing them default bail; however, he has recused from other cases.
Justice Shinde will be releasing a circular/notification to that effect shortly, sources have told Bar and Bench.
After such circular/notification is issued, the respective lawyers representing the 15 accused in the case, will have to move the Chief Justice of the High Court on administrative side to get a new Bench constituted for hearing the petitions arising from the 2018 case.
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‘Speeches were very provocative’: Police officer about the Elgar Parishad

24/02/2022 Asha

Rediff.com / by Jyoti Punwani

The senior police officer, who deposed in such detail about the Elgar Parishad, however, claimed to know nothing about the opposition to it from organisations such as Milind Ekbote’s Samastha Hindu Aghadi as well as Pune’s then mayor Mukta Tilak.
The speeches made by Umar Khalid, Jignesh Mewani, Prashant Dhontha and Sudhir Dhawale at the Elgar Parishad were provocative, but the pledge administered at the end of the Parishad to the audience, to ‘protect the Constitution and never vote for opponents of the Constitution, the RSS and BJP’, was not objectionable.
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Also read:
● Bhima Koregaon: Is Milind Ekbote Being Protected? (Rediff.com / Feb 2022)
● Let’s Remember the Lesson of Bhima Koregaon: Down with the New Peshwai (Sanhati│by Sudhir Dhawale│March 2018)

Activist Rona Wilson was targeted by two separate hacker groups, says report

10/02/2022 Asha

Rona Wilson Targeted in 10-Year Cyber Espionage Effort by Two Groups: Report

11/02/2022

The Wire / by The Wire Staff

Findings by US experts under the cybersecurity firm SentinelOne reveal that Wilson was targeted in a nearly decade-long effort – a time frame significantly longer than earlier realised.
A new report has found that activist Rona Wilson – incarcerated over what the Pune Police and NIA believe are his connections to the Elgar Parishad case – was targeted by two groups who took up cyber crime campaigns against him.
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Indian activist charged with terrorism was targeted by hackers linked to prominent cyber espionage attacks, new report finds

10/02/2022

The Washington Post / by Niha Masih and Gerry Shih

In early 2021, India was jolted by revelations that a jailed human rights activist and vocal government critic was targeted by hackers who planted incriminating evidence on his laptop before he was arrested on terrorism charges.
Now, a year later, a report by U.S. experts says the activist, Rona Wilson, was targeted by two separate groups, including one group that has been linked to widely documented cyberespionage campaigns against military targets in China and Pakistan, India’s top foreign adversaries.
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Activist Rona Wilson was targeted by two separate hacker groups, says report

10/02/2022

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

One of the groups has reportedly been linked to cyberespionage efforts against military targets in China and Pakistan.
Activist Rona Wilson, who has been named as an accused person in the Bhima Koregaon case, was targeted by two separate groups of hackers before he was arrested, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
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Seized Devices Of Seven Accused To Be Submitted To Pegasus Committee

08/02/2022 Asha

Court permits NIA to submit seized mobile phones to the SC-appointed Committee probing Pegasus allegations

08/02/2022

The Leaflet / by The Leaflet

A special National Investigation Agency [NIA] Court in Mumbai, on Tuesday, allowed the application filed by the anti-terror agency to submit the seized mobile phones of the seven accused in the Bhima Koregaon case to the Supreme Court-appointed Techincal Committee which is probing the Pegasus spyware scandal.
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Seized Mobile Devices Of Seven Accused To Be Submitted To Pegasus Committee To Check For Possible Snooping

08/02/2022

Live Law / by Sharmee Hakim

Mobile devices of the seven accused in the Bhima Koregaon – Elgar Parishad Case will be submitted to the Supreme Court-appointed Technical Committee (TC) probing allegations of snooping using Pegasus spyware, after the Special Court allowed the National Investigation Agency’s plea.
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Also read:
● Elgar Parishad Accused, Their Lawyers Write to SC’s Committee on Pegasus Spyware Targeting (The Wire / Jan 2022)
● Leaked Data Shows Surveillance Net in Elgar Parishad Case May Have Crossed a Line (The Wire / July 2021)

Default bail arguments completed for Elgar Parishad accused

28/01/2022 Asha

Click to enlarge

by Swati Deshpande (Jan 28, 2022)
Default bail arguments completed by defence lawyers for Elgar Parishad accused on Friday before Special UAPA court. The special Public prosecutor will now argue on February 14.

Bombay High Court Turns Down Plea By 8 Bhima Koregaon Accused For Factual Corrections In Order Denying Bail

23/12/2021

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

The Court cited the bar under Section 362 CrPC in reviewing the order.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday refused a request by eight accused in the Bhima Koregaon – Elgar Parishad Case for substantial factual corrections to the HC’s order denying them bail.
Through a precipice (application) for “speaking to minutes”, the accused claimed that just like Sudha Bharadwaj, who was granted bail, they had also filed their default bail pleas in the stipulated time.
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PEGASUS SNOOPING: Bhima Koregaon’s Accused Write To SC’s Technical Committee

19/01/2022 Asha

PEGASUS SNOOPING: Bhima Koregaon’s Accused Write To SC’s Technical Committee

19/01/2022

Law Street Journal / by Komal Kinger

Pegasus is a type of spyware created by the Israeli cyberarms firm NSO Group that can be installed secretly on mobile phones (and other divices) running most versions of iOS and Android.
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Elgar Parishad Accused, Their Lawyers Write to SC’s Committee on Pegasus Spyware Targeting

10/01/2022

The Wire / Sukanya Shantha

On January 3, the committee issued a public notice urging people to contact them in case they have reasons to believe that their phones were compromised using the malware.
Several human rights defenders and academics implicated in the Elgar Parishad case and their lawyers have sent their representation to the Supreme Court-appointed Technical Committee alleging that their phones were infected by the vicious Pegasus malware.
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Bhima Koregaon accused and their counsel write to SC’s Pegasus technical committee alleging snooping

08/01/2022

The Leaflet / by The Leaflet

On January 3, the Supreme Court-appointed Technical Committee (TC) to investigate the snooping allegations using Pegasus spyware had issued a public notice urging citizens to contact it if they felt that their mobile device had been infected…
The Leaflet learns that at least four accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, and their counsel, Nihalsing B. Rathod, have written to the committee separately alleging that their mobile devices had been infected with the Pegasus malware.
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Also read:
● Leaked Data Shows Surveillance Net in Elgar Parishad Case May Have Crossed a Line (The Wire / July 2021)

Bhima Koregaon Accused, Their Lawyers Write to SC’s Committee on Pegasus Spyware Targeting

10/01/2022 Asha

Elgar Parishad Accused, Their Lawyers Write to SC’s Committee on Pegasus Spyware Targeting

10/01/2022

The Wire / Sukanya Shantha

Bhima Koregaon accused and their counsel write to SC’s Pegasus technical committee alleging snooping

08/01/2022

The Leaflet / by The Leaflet

Counsel Of Bhima Koregaon Accused Writes To SC-Appointed Technical Committee Suspecting Hacking Of His Device

09/01/2022

Live Law / by Srishti Ojha

A lawyer, who represented several persons implicated in the Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad case has written to the Technical Committee appointed by the Supreme Court to probe into the allegations of snooping through Pegasus, suspecting compromise of his mobile device by Pegasus Malware.
Advocate Nihalsing B Rathod, a practicing lawyer based in Nagpur has argued that his phone was intercepted for accessing the privileged communication and legal strategies drawn on behalf of his clients in the Bhima Koregaon Elgar Parishad.
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Bhima Koregaon accused, counsel write to SC appointed Committee alleging phones were compromised

08/01/2022

Bar & Bench / by Abhimanyu Hazarika

Advocate Nihal Singh Rathod has offered to appear before the committee and submit his phone for probe.
A Nagpur-based lawyer on Friday wrote to the Supreme Court appointed Technical Committee probing the Pegasus spyware scandal, stating that he has reasons to believe his phone was hacked and compromised by the spyware.
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Also read:
● Leaked Data Shows Surveillance Net in Elgar Parishad Case May Have Crossed a Line (The Wire / July 2021)

Five Indian Women Activists Who Dared To Disagree In 2021 / Human Rights Heroes of 2021

24/12/2021 Asha

Five Indian Women Activists Who Dared To Disagree In 2021

23/12/2021

SheThePeople / by Tanvi Akhauri

Indian women activists set trailblazing paths through dominant narratives this year, daring to be outspoken despite consequences they knew would follow suit. Their moments of dissent were seen as acts of courage by some and acts of radicalism by others, but it became wholly impossible to deny at the same time that these activists – no matter their views – are courageous enough to raise questions and make themselves heard in a society that traditionally sidelines women’s voices.
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Never-the-less, they persisted: Human Rights Heroes of 2021

22/12/2021

Sabrangindia / by Karuna John

Meet our fellow Indians who have continued to defend our rights and freedoms despite being hounded with different forms of institutional violence ranging from targeted attacks and lawsuits to jail terms.
Scores of Human Rights Defenders, students and citizen activists, were subjected to targeted attacks, online vilification, lawsuits and even jail, but stayed true to their path. Today we hail those who grew stronger despite the blows. There are hundreds who are unnamed, here are a few who made headlines worldwide in 2021.
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Bombay HC Turns Down Plea By 8 Accused For Factual Corrections In Order Denying Bail

23/12/2021 Asha

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Bombay High Court Turns Down Plea By 8 Bhima Koregaon Accused For Factual Corrections In Order Denying Bail

23/12/2021

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

Bombay HC refuses to entertain plea by 8 accused claiming „factual errors“ in default bail order

23/12/2021

Bar & Bench / by Neha Joshi

The 8 accused had moved the High Court seeking a minor rectification in the order passed by the Division Bench refusing default bail to them.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday refused to intervene in a plea by eight accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case seeking a rectification of the ‘factual errors’ in the order refusing default bail to them.
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HC disposes plea of eight accused seeking rectification in order denying them bail

23/12/2021

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

The activists and academicians had said that the Bombay High Court order was based on a ‘factual error’.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday refused to intervene in a plea filed by eight accused persons in the Bhima Koregaon case, seeking rectification in an order that refused them bail, Bar and Bench reported.
The Bhima Koregaon case pertains to caste violence in a village near Pune in January 2018. Eight activists and academicians are among the 16 people arrested for allegedly plotting the violence.
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Eight Accused Approach HC, Say Denial of Default Bail Based on ‘Factual Error’

22/12/2021

The Wire / by The Wire Staff

Sudhir Dawale, Varavara Rao, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira have approached the high court claiming its order denying them default bail was based on a “factual error”.
Eight activists and academics currently in jail in the Elgar Parishad case, who were denied default bail by the Bombay high court earlier this month, have approached the high court on Tuesday, seeking a correction in the relevant order. They said that they had in fact exercised their right to default bail within the stipulated period …
The high court will hear the matter further on December 23.
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Had Sought Default Bail Like Sudha Bharadwaj’: 8 Bhima-Koregaon Accused Approach Bombay HC Claiming ‘Factual Error’ In Judgment

21/12/2021

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

Eight accused in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case denied default bail have re-approached the Bombay High Court claiming to have exercised their right to default bail well within the stipulated period.
It may be recalled that the High Court had granted default bail to lawyer-activist Sudha Bharadwaj, an accused in the case, on the ground that the Pune Sessions Court was not competent to extend the time for probe as it was not notified as a Special Court under the NIA Act. However, the Court denied the same benefit to other accused by saying that they had not filed applications for default bail when that right accrued to them.
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