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Varavara Rao pleas dismissed, HC asks prison to adopt measures to improve medical facilities [read order]

Varavara Rao pleas dismissed, HC asks prison to adopt measures to improve medical facilities [read order]

Bombay HC gives reasons for denying permanent bail to Varavara Rao, directs review of medical facilities in all prisons in Maharashtra [read order]

23/04/2022

The Leaflet / by Sarah Thanawala

On Friday, the Bombay High Court’s division bench of justices Sunil B. Shukre and G.A. Sanap passed the reasoned order to extend the temporary bail, of poet-activist and Bhima Koregaon case accused P. Varavara Rao, by three months.  The Court had earlier passed the initial order on April 13 to this effect.
The Court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by Rao, which prayed for modification of the High Court’s previous order releasing him on temporary medical bail on the condition that he wouldn’t leave the jurisdiction of Mumbai. Rao had prayed to the court to modify his temporary release into a permanent medical bail and to allow him to move to Hyderabad, where his family resides, as the cost of living in Mumbai was very high for him.
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Take Corrective Measures So Accused Can’t Cite Poor Medical Facilities To Seek Bail: Bombay HC To Jail Authorities On Dismissing Varavara Rao’s Plea

23/04/2022

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

The Bombay High Court has issued certain directions for improving prison conditions and medical facilities therein, so that complaints of Bhima Koregaon accused Varavara Rao as well as those made by other prison inmates are addressed, and there is no scope for them to seek bail on those grounds in the future.
“If the strict view of the matter is not taken and appropriate directions are not issued to rectify the deficiencies, all the under-trial prisoners would make a grievance of the same and apply for bail,” their order refusing permanent bail on medical grounds to Rao.
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Varavara Rao pleas dismissed, HC asks prison to adopt measures to improve medical facilities

23/04/2022

The Indian Express / by Express News Service

Senior advocate Anand Grover, representing Rao, who was arrested in August 2018, had contended that Varavara Rao’s condition was worsening due to Parkinson’s and his health is incompatible with the environment of Taloja central jail.
The Bombay High Court, while dismissing pleas filed by Elgaar Parishad case accused Varavara Rao, who had sought permanent medical bail and permission to shift to Hyderabad citing ill health and high expenses in Mumbai, has directed that corrective measures be adopted to improve conditions and medical facilities at state prisons.
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‘Seriousness & Severity Of Crime Would Remain Till Such Time The Accused Is Pronounced Not Guilty’: Bombay HC While Rejecting Varavara Rao’s Bail Plea

23/04/2022

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

Refusing to grant permanent bail on medical grounds to Bhima Koregaon – Elgar Parishad accused poet Varavara Rao the Bombay High Court said that prima facie observations regarding “seriousness and severity” of the crime he is accused of would remain till he is pronounced “not guilty.”
Therefore, based on Rao’s sound clinical summary dated December 15, 2021, and the allegations against him of being the “main conspirator,” he was not entitled to medial bail, the court held.
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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.
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Also read
Judge recuses from Elgar Parishad cases, new bench to hear pleas (India Today / Feb 2022)

India among top 10 countries to jail writers, academics in 2021, shows Pen America’s report

India among top 10 countries to jail writers, academics in 2021, shows Pen America’s report

India figures on list of top 10 ten countries that jail writers, academics & intellectuals

16/04/2022

The Federal / by The Federal

The 2021 Freedom to Write report recently published by Pen America, an NGO, has detailed the arrests of eight people in the country, which includes comedian Munawar Faruqui and those arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case.
India has the dubious distinction of figuring among the top ten list of countries that jail writers, academics and intellectual for their writings, works and advocacy.
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India among top 10 countries to jail writers, academics in 2021, shows Pen America’s report

15/04/2022

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

This is ‘one element of the ruling party’s attempts to quash dissent and entrench political control’, the United States non-profit organisation said.
… According to the report published on Wednesday, 277 writers and academics were detained or in prison in 36 countries last year. Of them, eight are from India – comedian Munawar Faruqui and Bhima Koregaon accused persons Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Vernon Gonsalves, Hany Babu, Gautam Navlakha, Arun Ferreira and Anand Teltumbde.
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PEN America’s Writers at Risk Database (India, 2021)


Also read:
International Mother Language Day: Take Action for Hany Babu (Pen International | Feb 2022)
Joint Statement: Freedom for Varavara Rao (Pen International | Oct 2021)
A Dark Day for Democracy and Freedom of Expression (Pen International | Aug 2018)

Bombay HC rejects Varavara Rao’s permanent bail plea; extends temporary bail

Bombay HC rejects Varavara Rao’s permanent bail plea; extends temporary bail

Bombay HC dismisses Varavara Rao’s plea seeking permanent bail, extends medical bail

13/04/2022

The Indian Express / by Express Web Desk

The court found said it some substance in contentions raised by the petitioner over conditions at Taloja central prison and said that it noted some deficiencies and passed directions in that regard.
The Bombay High Court Wednesday dismissed pleas filed by Elgaar Parishad accused Varavara Rao, who had sought permanent medical bail and permission to shift to Hyderabad in Telangana citing ill health and high expenses in Mumbai. However, the court extended the interim bail granted to Rao by three months to undergo cataract surgery.
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Bombay High Court Extends Temporary Bail Of Varavara Rao By 3 Months On Medical Grounds; Refuses Permanent Bail

13/04/2022

Live Law / by Sharmeen Hakim

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday refused to grant permanent medical bail to Telugu poet and Bhima Koregaon – Elgar Parishad accused P Varavara Rao. It however extended the period of temporary bail by three months for his cataract operation and issued directions to expedite the trial. The Court has also refused him permission to reside at his home in Telangana.
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Bombay HC rejects plea by Varavara Rao for permanent bail; extends temporary bail for 3 months

13/04/2022

Bar & Bench / by Neha Joshi

A bench of SB Shukre and GA Sanap also rejected the application by Rao to stay in Telangana during the duration of bail.
“The present petition seeking permanent bail is dismissed. Plea seeking modification of bail to go to Telangana is dismissed,” the Court said.
The Court, however, extended for three more months an earlier order granting him temporary bail.
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US Departments 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: India

US Departments 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: India

US Department’s 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: India

13/04/2022

US Department of State / by Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor

… Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: unlawful and arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings by the government or its agents; torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by police and prison officials; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention by government authorities; political prisoners or detainees; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; restrictions on free expression and media, including violence, threats of violence, or unjustified arrests or prosecutions against journalists …
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US government report says Indian Muslims are vulnerable to communal violence, discrimination

13/04/2022

Scroll.in / by Scroll Staff

The report also flagged extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests and detentions by government authorities.
… The report specifically mentioned the treatment meted out to 84-year-old Stan Swamy, a Jesuit priest who was arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case. The case pertains to caste violence in a village near Pune in 2018. Sixteen people were arrested for allegedly plotting the violence.
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Why Surendra Gadling, a political prisoner, is alleging his life is in danger

Why Surendra Gadling, a political prisoner, is alleging his life is in danger

Times of India / by Parth MN

Advocate and activist Surendra Gadling, an accused in the Elagar Parishad-Maoist links case, has filed a criminal complaint against top prison authorities, claiming he is facing extreme harassment. The police, however, says that’s not the case
On November 24, 2021, Surendra Gadling “felt giddy” after visiting the toilet. The human rights lawyer and Dalit activist from Nagpur immediately went into “a semi-conscious state and fell on his back“, banging his head gainst the wall.
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Video: The Prison Song of Surendra Gadling

hindi | 11min | 2021

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.
Watch video

K’taka Govt To Move Bombay High Court Seeking Permission To Produce Varavara Rao Before A Local Court

K’taka Govt To Move Bombay High Court Seeking Permission To Produce Varavara Rao Before A Local Court

Karnataka Govt To Move Bombay High Court Seeking Permission To Produce Varavara Rao Before A Local Court In Alleged Naxal Attack Case

25/03/2022

Live Law / by Mustafa Plumber

The Karnataka government has informed the High Court that it would be moving an application before the Bombay High Court or the National Investigation Agency Court in Mumbai, seeking to relax the bail conditions imposed on Telugu poet P Varavara Rao’s to allow him to appear before a court in Karnataka’s Tumkuru district, and face a trial pending against him.
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K’taka HC disposes of Varavara Rao’s plea

25/03/2022

Times of India / by TNN

The Karnataka police has told the state high court that 81-year-old Telugu poet P Varavara Rao would not be arrested till such an application is filed before the Bombay high court or the NIA court at Mumbai, and suitable orders for relaxation in his bail conditions are passed.
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Won’t arrest Varavara Rao for now, govt tells HC

24/03/2022

Deccan Herald / by DHNS

Varavara Rao, 81, is accused in the Venkatammana Halli blast case of 2005 in Pavagada taluk
The High Court has disposed of the petition filed by Telugu poet Varavara Rao after the state government gave an undertaking that Rao will not be arrested till an application is filed before the High Court of Bombay or National Investigation Agency (NIA) court and order is passed.
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Bombay High Court reserves order on default bail plea by Rao, Ferreira and Gonsalves

Bombay High Court reserves order on default bail plea by Rao, Ferreira and Gonsalves

Bombay High Court reserves order on default bail plea by Rao, Ferreira and Gonsalves

22/03/2022

The Leaflet / by Sabah Gurmat

On Tuesday, a division bench of the Bombay High Court constituting Justices S.S. Shinde and N.J. Jamadar decided to reserve its order on the application filed by three of the accused — poet and activist P. Varavara Rao, academic and activist Vernon Gonsalves, and human rights lawyer and activist Arun Ferreira — in the Bhima Koregaon (Elgar Parishad) case. Their plea sought a review of the court’s earlier judgement in December which refused them default bail while allowing the same for co-accused lawyer and activist Sudha Bharadwaj.
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Bombay High Court reserves verdict in default bail plea by three accused

22/03/2022

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 Tuesday reserved its verdict in 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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Bombay HC reserves verdict in plea by Varavara Rao seeking bail, permission to move to Telangana

Bombay HC reserves verdict in plea by Varavara Rao seeking bail, permission to move to Telangana


VV Rao out of Nanavati hospital, Feb 2021

Bombay HC reserves order in Varavara Rao’s plea seeking permanent bail and permission to move to Telangana

21/03/2022

The Leaflet / by Sabah Gurmat

Earlier today, the Bombay High Court division bench of Justices S.B. Shukre and G.A. Sanap reserved its verdict on the pleas filed by poet-activist and Bhima Koregaon (Elgar Parishad) case accused P. Varavara Rao. The octogenarian has sought permanent medical bail and permission to move to Telangana to live at his home at Hyderabad.
Rao, who was granted temporary medical bail for a period of six months in February 2021, has repeatedly sought and been granted extensions from surrendering.
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Bombay HC reserves verdict in plea by Varavara Rao seeking bail, permission to move to Telangana

21/03/2022

Bar & Bench / by Neha Joshi

Bench of Justices Sunil Shukre and GA Sanap extended the interim protection granted to Rao from any coercive action till the final verdict in all three applications.
The Bombay High Court on Monday reserved its verdict in the pleas filed by Telugu poet and Bhima Koregaon accused Varavara Rao seeking permanent bail and permission to move to Telangana [P. Varavara Rao v. National Investigation Agency & Ors.]
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Who is Varavara Rao and why is NIA urging Bombay HC to dismiss his permanent medical bail plea?

21/03/2022

Zee News / by Zee Media Bureau

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday (March 21, 2022) urged the Bombay High Court to dismiss the permanent medical bail plea filed by Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad Maoist links case.
The NIA said that charges against Rao were “very, very serious,” and, if proven, could attract the death penalty.
Who is Varavara Rao? 
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