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Tag: Shoma Sen

Part 3: ‘I have to get Ma out of prison’

Part 3: ‘I have to get Ma out of prison’

Rediff.com / by Neeta Kolhatkar

‘After the pandemic began, they suddenly shut down the prisons; for three months, we did not know what was happening.’
‘There were no phone calls, no letters, no news from inside.’
‘We were struggling to get any kind of information about them, about their health.’
Your mother is in jail.
You are outside, doing everything possible to secure her release.
Then, COVID strikes.
And, for nearly three months, in the outside world, you are seeing the devastation it has wrought.
And, every second, you are wondering how your mother is surviving the dreaded disease within those prison walls.
But you don’t know.
The situation is chaotic and you have no word.
That is the trauma that Koel Sen, film-maker, columnist and daughter of Professor Shoma Sen, one of the 16 arrested in the infamous Bhima Koregaon case, went through in the first half of 2020.
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Also read:
● Part 2: When Your Mother Is In Prison… (Rediff.com / May 25)
● Part 1: ‘It is very difficult to see my mother like this’ (Rediff.com / May 2022)

When Your Mother Is In Prison…

When Your Mother Is In Prison…

Rediff.com / by Neeta Kolhatkar

‘Just waiting outside the prison gate, thinking that your mother is inside those walls even though you know she is innocent, affects your psyche.’
There were some things Koel Sen never dreamt she would ever do.
But life turned upside down for the film-maker and columnist when her mother Professor Shoma Sen was arrested in March 2018 for her alleged involvement in the Bhima Koregaon case. Professor Sen was, as a consequence, suspended from her post as head of the English literature department at Nagpur University.
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Also read:
● ‘It is very difficult to see my mother like this’ (Rediff.com / May 2022)

And he waits for Shoma Sen

And he waits for Shoma Sen

Midday / by Ajaz Ashraf

Falling in love while trying to affect a change in the society, as their hearts beat for adivasis and dalits, the couple has now spent in jail nine out of 31 years of their life together.
I called up Tushar Kanti Bhattacharya, husband of Shoma Sen, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon case, on May 9, with a request: could he tell me their story—she languishing in jail and he alone outside? He said it was on this day in 1991 that Shoma and he were married. 
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Also read:
● And she waits for Gautam Navlakha (Midday / May 2022)

‘It is very difficult to see my mother like this’

‘It is very difficult to see my mother like this’


Shoma Sen. Pic: Koel Sen @ fb

Rediff.com / by Neeta Kolhatkar

‘The only way to kill time in prison is to read and she can’t even do that properly any more.’
‘Her knees, too, are in terrible shape. I could see how she was trying to hide her pain every time she got up from the bench where she was seated.’
Koel Sen, her daughter, tells Rediff.com Senior Contributor Neeta Kolhatkar how this “travesty of justice” has taken a huge toll on the family.
Three years, 11 months to the day.
That’s how long Professor Shoma Sen, the former head of the English literature department at Nagpur University — she was suspended after her arrest — has been in prison for her alleged involvement in the *Bhima Koregaon case.
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Bombay High Court rejects default bail plea of Varavara Rao and seven other accused

Bombay High Court rejects default bail plea of Varavara Rao and seven other accused

Bombay High Court rejects default bail plea of Varavara Rao and seven other accused

04/05/2022

The Leaflet / by Sabah Gurmat

The Bombay High Court earlier today dismissed a petition filed by eight activists, academics and lawyers accused in the Bhima Koregaon (Elgar Parishad) violence case, who sought review of an earlier order which dismissed their appeal for default bail.
A plea seeking default bail was filed by P. Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Sudhir Dhawale, Shoma Sen, Rona Wilson, Mahesh Raut and Surendra Gadling.
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Bombay HC Says Won’t Review Refusal of Default Bail to 3 Activists

04/05/2022

The Wire / by The Wire Staff

Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves’ petition said the high court’s previous order was based on a “factual error”.
The Bombay high court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by Varavara Rao and two other activists, arrested in the Elgar Parishad case, seeking a review of an earlier order of the high court which refused them default bail.
The high court said it finds it difficult to hold there was any factual error in its earlier judgement and requires a review.
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Bombay HC Rejects Review Plea Seeking Default Bail To Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves & Arun Ferreira

04/05/2022

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

The Bombay High Court has rejected a review application filed by three accused in the Bhima Koregaon – Elgar Parishad Case seeking bail and factual corrections in the order refusing them default bail.
The court disposed of a review application filed by the three, seeking factual corrections in the order refusing them default bail and subsequently release.
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Bombay High Court rejects default bail plea of Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves

04/05/2022

Bar & Bench / by Neha Joshi

The review application by Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves claimed there was factual error in the High Court’s December 2021 judgment, which if not rectified, will lead to “gross miscarriage of justice”.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday rejected the plea filed by three accused Varavara Rao, Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves in the Bhima Koregaon case seeking review of the High Court’s December 2021 judgment refusing them default bail. [P Varavara Rao & Ors. v. State of Maharashtra & Anr.]
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Also read:
● Eight Accused Approach HC, Say Denial of Default Bail Based on ‘Factual Error’ (The Wire / Dec 2021)
● ‘Had Sought Default Bail Like Sudha Bharadwaj’: 8 Bhima-Koregaon Accused Approach Bombay HC Claiming ‘Factual Error’ In Judgment (Live Law / Dec 2021)

Jadhav of Bombay HC, the third judge to recuse from hearing petitions in the case this year

Jadhav of Bombay HC, the third judge to recuse from hearing petitions in the case this year

Justice Sadhana Jadhav Of Bombay High Court, The Third Judge To Recuse From Hearing Petitions In Bhima Koregaon Case This Year

19/04/2022

Live Law / Sharmeen Hakim

A third judge of the Bombay High Court, Justice Sadhana Jadhav, recused from hearing a clutch of petitions in the Bhima Koregaon – Elgar Parishad case this year, including two petitions alleging the planting of electronic evidence through malware.
Justice Jadhav said no Elgar Parishad matters to be placed before her. the judge had earlier recused from hearing BK matters in 2019 and 2020, as well.
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Justice Sadhana Jadhav recuses herself from hearing pleas in Bhima Koregaon case

19/04/2022

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

She is the third Bombay High Court judge to withdraw from hearing petitions in the caste violence case this year.
Justice Sadhana Jadhav of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday recused herself from hearing petitions filed in the Bhima Koregaon case, Live Law reported. Jadhav is the third Bombay High Court judge to withdraw from the hearing the petitions related to the case this year.
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Justice Jadhav recuses from Bhima Koregaon cases, third Bombay HC judge to recuse

19/04/2022

Bar & Bench / by Neha Joshi

Earlier, Justices PB Varale and SS Shinde had also recused from the matter.
A third Bench of the Bombay High Court led by Justice Sadhana S Jadhav on Tuesday recused from hearing a clutch of petitions filed in the Bhima Koregaon case of 2018.
Justice Jadhav is the third judge to recuse from the case. Earlier, Justices PB Varale and SS Shinde had also recused from the matter.
Read more

Also read
● Judge recuses from Elgar Parishad cases, new bench to hear pleas (India Today / Feb 2022)

21 European MPs Express Concern at Treatment of Rights Activists / Solidarity at International Women’s Day

21 European MPs Express Concern at Treatment of Rights Activists / Solidarity at International Women’s Day

21 European MPs Write to Modi Expressing Concern at Treatment of Rights Activists

08/03/2022

The Wire / by The Wire Staff

The MEPs highlighted three particular cases: the arrest of 16 activists in the Elgar Parishad case, the arrest of 13 activists in connection with the protests against the CAA and the detention of Kashmiri activist Khurram Parvez.
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by FLD Brussels (March 8)

Members of @Europarl_EN sent a letter to high level authorities in #India raising the alarm over the dramatic escalation in arrests of HRDs under the #UAPA, incl the #BhimaKoregaon case, CAA protesters & #KhurramParvez, which they condemn in the strongest terms.

Read full letter & signatories at the website of MP Alviina Alametsä
Read full letter

click to enlarge

Rally at International Women’s Day, Berlin (Germany)

08/03/2022

By India Justice Project

On #InternationalWomensDay we remember especially the #womenpoliticalprisoners incarcerated by the Indian govt. In speaking out against their imprisonment, we speak out, too, for the multitudes of people whose struggles they have taken on and carry forward.

Banner: Free all political prisoners in India
The Security Playbook Used To Erode Democracy In Modi’s India & How The Tide Might Turn

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

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

After Two Justices Recuse From Hearing Case, Chief Justice Agrees To Constitute New Bench

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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Seized Devices Of Seven Accused To Be Submitted To Pegasus Committee

Seized Devices Of Seven Accused To Be Submitted To Pegasus Committee

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.
Read more

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)