Set up in 2023 to bring trials closer to remote Maoist affected villages, the court now has 31 pending UAPA cases, most more than five years old; witnesses travel for hours through forested areas while accused are often produced from distant jails through videoconferencing
… The need for a dedicated court had also come into focus before the Supreme Court earlier this year during the bail proceedings of lawyer Surendra Gadling, who has represented several UAPA accused and was arrested in the 2018 Elgaar Parishad case. Gadling had told the Supreme Court that his 2016 Surjagarh arson case remained pending without a court or prosecutor in Aheri. Read more
Umar Khalid’s six years in Tihar expose how prolonged pretrial detention under UAPA has become a means of punishing dissent, with Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis bearing a disproportionate burden.
On September 13, 2026, Umar Khalid completed six years in Tihar Jail. Not one prosecution witness has been examined.
There is a particular kind of silence that settles over a case like Umar’s. This is the silence of a system that has learned to punish without verdict, to sentence without trial, and most importantly, to convert the process itself into the penalty.
… The Bhima-Koregaon case offers a parallel indictment of the same machinery. It has been eight years since the alleged incident. Even the trial has not begun. Read more
Who Will Police the Indian Police?
13/09/2026
The Wire / by Anand Teltumbde
Police reform will remain cosmetic unless policing is made strictly accountable to the law rather than to political power.
Police are the face of the state to ordinary Indians. And that face is often one of raw terror. People encounter the state through the policeman at the street corner, the police station, the barricade or the interrogation room. As veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar once observed, the ordinary person’s first encounter with the police often begins with abuse and the danda. Read more
Serving the Powerful, Failing the Powerless
13/09/2026
Peoples Democracy / by MA Baby
Justice Deepak Gupta, a former judge of the Supreme Court, marked the eightieth anniversary of Independence by asking in print what few in his position have dared to ask; how free are we, the citizens of India?
… The Bhima Koregaon prosecution is in its ninth year. Father Stan Swamy died in custody in July 2021. Surendra Gadling got bail in May 2026 after nearly eight years, only to stay in jail on a second case. Every surviving accused has now been granted bail; not one has faced trial, because charges have still not been framed, and forensic findings that the incriminating files were planted by malware have never been judicially examined. The process is the punishment, and the court’s refusal to intervene is what keeps the process alive. Read more
“The process has become the punishment”: Former SC judge Justice Deepak Gupta flags Umar Khalid’s incarceration, judicial majoritarianis
11/09/2026
Maktoob / by Maktoob
Former Supreme Court judge Justice Deepak Gupta criticised prolonged incarceration, judicial majoritarianism and courts’ failure to protect individual liberty, saying “the process has become the punishment” while citing the cases of Umar Khalid, Elgar Parishad and Sonam Wangchuk.
Former Supreme Court judge Justice Deepak Gupta criticised the judiciary’s failure to protect individual liberty, citing rights activist Umar Khalid’s prolonged incarceration and the Elgar Parishad case, and said “the process has become the punishment” as people are labelled “anti-nationals” and their lives ruined. Read more
The true meaning of freedom
06/09/2026
The Tribune / by Justice Deepak Gupta
No country can claim to be free unless it has an independent and fearless judiciary
After the marching has come to a halt, the drumrolls have fallen silent and the euphoria of India’s 80th Independence Day celebrations has lessened, I ponder, how free are we, the citizens of India?
… The accused in the Elgar Parishad case were kept behind bars for years; one died in jail. The allegations against them are said to be very serious. If so, why has the prosecution not shown the same seriousness to start the trial? Eight years have passed since the incident took place. The trial is yet to begin. Read more
Supreme Court to hear bail plea of Bhima Koregaon accused Surendra Gadling on October 14
01/09/2026
The Hindu / by The Hindu Bureau
The present bail plea arises from the 2016 Surjagarh arson case, in which several vehicles transporting iron ore from Surjagarh mines in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district were allegedly set ablaze by persons associated with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist)
The Supreme Court said on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) that it would her on October 14 a bail plea filed by advocate and activist Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case. Read more
Supreme Court to hear Surendra Gadling’s bail plea on Oct 14
01/09/2026
The Print / by pti
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would hear on October 14 a plea filed by advocate Surendra Gadling seeking bail in the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case.
Gadling has challenged in the apex court a January 2023 order of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court which refused to grant him bail in the case.
The plea came up for hearing before a bench of justices Vikram Nath, Augustine George Masih and Sandeep Mehta.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Gadling, said the petitioner is also an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, and he is already granted bail in that case. Read more
Bail is the Rule, Jail is the Exception: The Promise of the Constitution and the Reality of State Repression
30/08/2026
Countercurrents / by Asish Gupta
Former Maoist leader Azad alias Dana Keshav Rao, had a total of 49 cases pending against him in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh after being arrested by the police in 2011. He spent more than 15 years and 2 months in prison as an undertrial prisoner. … Finally, in August 2026, he was acquitted in all 49 cases and released from prison. A lack of sufficient evidence was one of the key grounds for his acquittal.
…
Surendra Gadling’s situation underscores a broader dilemma. Even after securing bail in the Bhima-Koregaon case, he could not be released immediately because he faced a separate case related to the 2016 Surjagarh arson, in which his bail application was pending before the Supreme Court. Thus, while a person was granted bail in one case on the ground of prolonged undertrial detention, the doors of the prison remained closed due to another case.
This illustrates a structural loophole in the Indian bail system. Read more
Who is Ajay Kumar? Why Has He Been Behind Bars for the Last Two Years?
30/08/2026
Campaign Against State Repression / by Campaign Against State Repression (CASR)
An activist, writer, lawyer, and intellectual, Ajay Kumar has dedicated nearly three decades of his life to the struggles of the toiling masses for liberation from oppression and exploitation.
… Ajay was actively involved in the Forum Against the War on People, which opposed attacks by state forces and the corporate-sponsored militia Salwa Judum on Adivasi communities in central India under Operation Green Hunt. He was also a founding member of the Vistapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan (VVJVA), a coalition of more than 50 organisations from across the country working against the forcible displacement of peasants, particularly Adivasis, for corporate land acquisition and extractive projects.
VVJVA has campaigned against the forced displacement of peasant and Adivasi communities for the construction of big dams, industrial projects, mines, Special Economic Zones, highways, National Parks, and Smart City projects, among others.
… As a member of the Indian Association of Peoples Lawyers (IAPL), he has worked for the release of political prisoners, including those incarcerated in the Bhima Koregaon case. Read full statement
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Civil Liberties Groups Seek Release of Political Prisoners
29/08/2026
Deccan Chronicle / by DC Correspondent
The Civil Liberties Committee (CLC) along with CPI and other activists demanded the release of political prisoners detained under UAPA cases.
“It is necessary that we strongly demand that the Telangana government release political prisoners. Governments of other states, including Andhra Pradesh, as well as the Centre, must release political prisoners,” Supreme Court advocate D. Suresh, CLC general secretary, said at a protest at Dharna Chowk on Saturday.
… Suresh said around 1,200 people in Chhattisgarh, 1,000 in Jharkhand and many others in Odisha, UP, Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi were jailed on allegations of being Maoists. He cited the case of lawyer Surendra Gadling who he said was “falsely implicated in the Bhima Koregaon case and has been unjustly languishing in jail for eight years without bail.” Read more
The TISS student’s arrest after commemorating the death anniversary of G.N. Saibaba raises fears that the machinery used to criminalise dissent, now armed with the label of “dimagi naxal”, could be ensnaring a new generation of students.
Abhirup Paul is a name that has little recall value. Note down his name, because he’s likely to be the next Surendra Gadling or the next Umar Khalid or the next Sharjeel Imam—the three men who have been languishing for years in prison and were unable to celebrate yet another Independence Day outside its forbidding walls. Like them, Paul also couldn’t celebrate, a protent that the fate of the three could also become his. Read more
After 3 Supreme Court Judges Recuse, Surendra Gadling Requests CJI Kant To List Bail Plea In Surajgarh Arson Case
27/07/2026
Law Beat / by Aishwarya Iyer
Last week, the Supreme Court said the matter would be listed before a different combination after noting that Justice Shree Chandrashekhar was unable to hear the case.
The Supreme Court today heard a mentioning made on behalf of Surendra Gadling concerning listing of his bail plea in connection with the 2016 Surajgarh arson case.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal told a CJI Surya Kant led bench, “Another judge has recused..it may be listed..”. Read more
Surendra Gadling Bail Plea: Kapil Sibal Asks Supreme Court To List Matter Before Another Bench After Third Judge’s Recusal
27/07/2026
Live Law / by Gursimran Kaur Bakshi
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal on Monday requested the Supreme Court to assign lawyer-activist Surendra Gadling’s bail plea in the 2016 Gadchiroli arson case to a different bench, after Justice Shree Chandrashekhar recently recused from hearing the matter. Read more
3rd SC judge recuses himself from hearing lawyer Surendra Gadling’s bail plea
21/07/2026
Hindustan Times / by Abraham Thomas
Supreme Court judge Shree Chandrashekhar on Tuesday recused himself from hearing lawyer Surendra Gadling’s bail plea in a 2016 arson case, becoming the third judge to do so in the case over the past year.
Justice PK Mishra announced the recusal when the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sought an adjournment before the matter came up for hearing before a bench comprising him and Justice Chandrashekhar. Justice Mishra said the matter had to be adjourned anyway, as Justice Chandrashekhar conveyed his inability to hear it. “This will have to go before another bench as my brother [Justice Chandrashekhar] has some difficulty.” Read more
Third Supreme Court Judge Recuses From Hearing Surendra Gadling’s Bail Plea In 2016 Gadchiroli Arson Case
21/07/2026
Live Law / by Gursimran Kaur Bakshi
The Supreme Court today (July 21) ordered that the bail plea of lawyer-activist Surendra Gadling in the 2016 Gadchiroli arson case should be heard by a bench not comprising Justice Shree Chandrashekhar.
The matter was listed before a bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Shree Chandrashekhar. At the outset, an advocate on behalf of Additional Solicitor General SV Raju (for the National Investigation Agency) sought a passover, while Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appeared for the petitioner. However, Justice Mishra said the matter will go before another coordinate bench since Justice Chandrashekhar has some difficulty. Read more
Justice Shree Chandrashekhar recuses from hearing bail plea of Bhima Koregaon accused Surendra Gadling
21/07/2026
The Hindu / by The Hindu Bureau
This marks the third recusal by a Supreme Court judge from hearing activist Mr. Gadling’s bail plea without assigning any reason; the bail plea arises from the 2016 Surjagarh arson case; Mr. Gadling has been in Taloja Central Prison since June 2018 following his arrest in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case
Supreme Court judge Justice Shree Chandrashekhar on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) recused himself from hearing a bail petition filed by advocate and activist Surendra Gadling in connection with the 2016 Surjagarh iron ore mine arson case. It is the third such recusal by a Supreme Court judge in the past year, with no reasons assigned on any of the occasions. Read more
SC to hear Surendra Gadling’s bail plea next week in Elgar Parishad case
17/07/2026
National Herald / by NH Digital
Advocate has spent over seven years in jail; court agrees to urgent hearing after counsel cites repeated delays
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling, an accused in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, after his counsel highlighted his prolonged incarceration and repeated delays in the proceedings. Read more
SC to hear Surendra Gadling bail plea in Elgar Parishad case next week after delays
17/07/2026
India Today / by India Today News Desk
The Supreme Court will hear advocate Surendra Gadling’s bail plea next week in the Elgar Parishad case. The listing revives a long-pending matter after repeated adjournments and years of incarceration.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week the bail plea of advocate Surendra Gadling, an accused in the 2018 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana gave the assurance after senior advocate Kapil Sibal sought an urgent listing, saying Gadling had been in jail for seven-and-a-half years. Read more
Surendra Gadling and Dinkar Gota, two political prisoners incarcerated at Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai, are observing a one-day hunger strike on July 5, 2026, the fifth death anniversary of the Jesuit priest and human rights activist Father Stan Swamy. The editorial introduction below is followed by the full text of the press release by Gadling and Gota on the hunger strike.
EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION
Surendra Gadling is a Nagpur-based human rights lawyer and Dalit rights activist who has spent decades defending Adivasis, Dalits, workers, and political prisoners, often on a pro bono basis. He is widely known for challenging allegations of fake encounters, custodial abuse, and violations of civil liberties. He has been imprisoned since June, 2018 in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, a prosecution that has become one of India’s most prominent civil liberties cases. Sixteen lawyers, academics, writers, artists, trade unionists, and human rights defenders were arrested in the case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Most have since been granted bail after years of incarceration, while Father Stan Swamy died in judicial custody in 2021. Gadling remains incarcerated in Taloja Central Prison awaiting trial.
Dinkar Gota is an Adivasi activist from Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, who was arrested in March, 2020 under the UAPA in connection with the Gadchiroli blast case of 2019. He has consistently maintained his innocence and is regarded by supporters as one of several Adivasi activists who have been jailed baselessly under anti-terror laws for fighting for the rights of their peoples. He is currently lodged in Taloja Central Prison.
Father Stan Swamy was a Jesuit priest and human rights activist who had dedicated his life to defending the rights of Adivasis, other marginalised communities, and political prisoners. He was arrested in October, 2020 in the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case, and died at the age of 84 on July 5, 2021 while in judicial custody.
FULL TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE
– Press Release for circulation –
Date: 5 July 2026
Two political prisoners, Advocate Surendra Gadling, an accused in the Bhima Koregaon–Elgar Parishad case, and Dinkar Gota, an accused in the alleged Gadchiroli attack case, lodged in Taloja Central Prison, are observing a one-day hunger strike on 5 July 2026, on the occasion of the fifth death anniversary of Father Stan Swamy.
Father Stan Swamy was a victim of institutional murder because he refused to surrender before those in power and chose to stand firmly for the rights of Adivasis, Dalits, and the marginalized and oppressed masses, until his last breath. He fearlessly raised his voice against injustice, repression, and attacks on democratic rights. This one-day hunger strike is to protest against the institutional repression that led to his death.
Father Stan Swamy’s life and struggle continues to inspire every person fighting for justice, human dignity, and democratic values. This hunger strike is a renewed pledge to ensure that his sacrifice will not go in vain, and the hunger strikers humbly appeal to democrats, human rights defenders, and all justice-seeking citizens to express solidarity in this regard.
By Sushmita / @Sushmitav1 (June 6):
Today, Adv. Surendra Gadling completes eight years of wrongful incarceration without the trial having commenced, and having denied bail on multiple occasions.
Adv. Gadling always fought for the rights of those falsely charged with draconian laws and fought against atrocities
committed on Dalit, Bahujans and Adivasis. He obtained acquittal of hundreds of Dalit, Adivasis trapped in false cases. He also fought against cases of caste atrocities. It’s high time this human rights defender is freed and urgently given bail.
From accused in the now-concluded Malegaon 2008 blast case to those booked in the Elgaar Parishad case of 2017-18, several accused have been given permission to use computers, with curbs.
In 2006, some of the accused in the Mumbai serial train blasts case had to approach the court for permission to keep their over 10,000-page chargesheet in their barracks; the overcrowded Arthur Road Jail barrack barely had space for its prisoners.
Twenty years later, the jail still remains crowded, chargesheets have only got longer, and the struggle for space has gone digital. Undertrials across jails are seeking access to computers or laptops to read the electronic evidence against them. From accused in the now-concluded Malegaon 2008 blast case to those booked in the Elgaar Parishad case of 2017-18, several accused have been given permission to use computers, with curbs. Read more
