Bhima Koregaon probe LIVE updates: Sudha Bharadwaj's daughter says raid team didn't have search warrant

People conducting raid didn’t have search warrant: Sudha Bharadwaj’s daughter

Bharadwaj was arrested earlier in the day.

Advocate drafts urgent appeal to NHRC

Advocate Mangla Verma has drafted an urgent appeal to National Focal Point – Human Rights Defenders, NHRC.

“After their arrests, the activists were taken to Pune from various locations on transit remand by the Pune Police and are currently under judicial remand in Yerwada Jail in Pune,” said the appeal.

“It is falsely alleged in the FIR that the human rights defenders had circulated controversial pamphlets and delivered hate speeches in an event organised by a coalition of 260 non-profit organisations, called Elgar Parishad on December 31, 2017, at Pune’s Shaniwar Wada, which police claim led to the Bhima Koregaon violence that broke out on January 1, 2018,” it further said.

“A prejudicial narrative was created in the mainstream media immediately following the arrests of the above mentioned human rights defenders projecting them as ‘Maoist operatives’ to justify their arbitrary arrests,” it also said.

People’s Watch executive director speaks on matter against activist Thirumurugan Gandhi (2/2)

People’s Watch executive director Henri Tiphagne said: “He (Thirumurugan Gandhi) was finally released from police custody as per the orders and directions of the Metropolitan Magistrate. As Thirumurugan Gandhi came out of the office from the buildings of the former commissioner of police near Pantheon Road, a group of police men once again surrounded him rudely and lifted him into another vehicle and have taken him to Royapettah police station allegedly to remand him to judicial custody in Crime No 440/2017 u/s 143,188, 353 IPC.

“Human Rights Defenders Alert took up his case before the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention when he was arrested under the Goondas act last year (2017) and gave an interim opinion in No 88/2017. The NHRC was also approached in this matter and they also orally addressed the Tamil Nadu Police.”

People’s Watch executive director speaks on matter against activisit Thirumurugan Gandhi (1/2)

Speaking about how activists are being targeted and the way in which human rights groups are coming to their defense, People’s Watch executive director Henri Tiphagne said: “Thirumurugan Gandhi, a human rights defender from Tamil Nadu, was detained on the basis of a lookout circular at the Bengaluru International Airport on 9 August and handed over to the airport police.

“The Tamil Nadu Police reached there at 9.30 pm and brought him after obtaining a transit warrant to Chennai the next morning. When produced before the metropolitan magistrate at Chennai’s Saidapet Court, he was refused to be remanded since there was no prima facie case and the police were only allowed to continue to investigate him till the 24 hours period was.”

ABAM general secretary says activists losing their right to protest

“Stan Swamy is known to me. He is a known figure in the tribal belts of Jharkhand. By taking activists into custody, the government is violating Article 19 of the Constitution that guarantees right to freedom of opinion and expression,”  Rajkumar, General Secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Mahasabha, said.

He asserted that the activists were losing their right to free speech because of the situation. “In Article 244(1), there is a provision on administration and control of the tribal areas that fall under the 5th Schedule of the Constitution. The areas are to be directly governed by the governor and are autonomous in terms of governance. The activists are protesting that this is not being implemented and are losing their right to protest and free speech in the process,” he said.

Arundhati Roy says arrests ’tells us clearly where India is headed’

What is happening is absolutely perilous, said author and Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy after the raids, which were carried out as part of a probe into the violence at Maharashtra’s Koregaon-Bhima village, triggered by ‘Elgar Parishad’ event in Pune on 31 December.

“The simultaneous state-wide arrests are a dangerous sign of a government that fears it is losing its mandate and is falling into panic. That lawyers, poets, writers, Dalit rights activists and intellectuals are being arrested on ludicrous charges… while those who make up lynch mobs and threaten and murder people in broad daylight roam free, tells us very clearly where India is headed,” Roy told PTI in a message.

PTI

CPM’s Prakash Karat calls raids ’ brazen attack on democratic rights’

CPM leader Prakash Karat criticised the raids conducted across the country on Tuesday. “This is a brazen attack on democratic rights. We are demanding that all the cases against these people be withdrawn and they be released forthwith,” he said.

Raids conducted in at least seven cities

Quoting sources, ANI  reported that the raids were conducted at Mumbai, Ranchi, Hyderabad, Faridabad, Delhi and Thane on Tuesday. The Pune Police also carried out searches at multiple places in various states on the residences of people suspected to have Maoist links.

Six NGOs had been mentioned in an IB report in June

In June, six NGOs operating out of Delhi’s Katwaria Sarai figured in an Intelligence Bureau report titled ‘Impact of NGOs on development’ on NGOs stalling development projects.

“These four NGOs are Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament & Peace (CNDP), Popular Education & Action Centre (PEACE) and Jan Sangharsh Samanvaya Samiti, the latter being the focal point for anti-Fatehabad nuclear power plant,” the IB report stated.

It also said that an inquiry into pattern design and funding of protests at uranium mines and nuclear plants revealed a superior network of pan-India organisations linked to terrorist organisations.

“We at Human Rights Defenders Alert have issued a communication to the NHRC because each of those detained are human rights defenders. This isn’t an act limited to the Maharashtra Police, we find a national design to this entire operation. The only sign of hope in this process is that the Delhi High Court has intervened,” said Henry Tiphange, Executive Director at People’s Watch.

Input by Pallavi Rebbapragada

Investigation report on raid conducted at Sudha Bharadwaj’s residence

The investigation report, which describes in great detail the raid that was conducted on Sudha Bharadwaj’s residence, said that laptops, pen drives, mobile phones, etc were recovered  from her residence.

“During this raid, we seized probable suspicious gadgets and other things that may contain some objectionable material, including electronics items, mobiles, laptop, charger, pen drive and some papers,” said the report.

Delhi HC stays transit remand of arrested activist Gautam Navlakha: News18

Earlier, a habeus corpus petition had been filed in the Delhi High Court against Navlakha’s arrest.

Activist Arun Ferreira arrested from his residence

Civil rights activist Anand Teltumbde has also been arrested.

Input by Greeshma Rai

‘Rising fear in the minds of human rights activists’

“It’s not a matter of Gautam Navalakha alone. There’s a rising fear in the minds of human rights activists. I know Navalakha, Sudha Bharadwaj and Anand Teltumbde personally.”

“The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is a bogus act brought in by the Congress and misused by the present government. Both poles of Indian politics are the same. In Navalakha’s case, a habeus corpus petition has no use because it is known that the police has detained him. There was a growing worry in the minds of activists about speaking up against the government but that voices will be stifled so blatantly is surprising. Today, it is 10, tomorrow it will be 10 in a week,” Anil Chaudhary, who runs Popular Education & Action Centre (PEACE) in New Delhi, said.

Input by Pallavi Rebbapragada

Activists Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira arrested

Sudha Bharadwaj is being taken to Sector 12 CJM from Surajkhund PS for transit remand.

Inputs by Greeshma Rai

Amnesty India tweets on Bhima-Koregaon raids, says govt responsible to protect people’s rights 

Amnesty India has raised questions on the systematic crackdown on activists across different locations in India. The rights’ group said: “In June this year, five activists from Maharashtra were arrested on suspicion of having links with banned Maoist groups. The activists who were arrested have a history of working to protect the rights of some of India’s most marginalized people. Today, Maharashtra police have launched raids on rights activists across the country… This crackdown raises disturbing questions about whether these people are being targeted for their activism.”

Ranchi Police says ‘objectionable material’ seized from Stan Swamy’s home

“Some literature of objectionable nature has been seized by team of Pune Police during a raid at Father Stan Swamy’s residence in Ranchi, today morning. A laptop, CDs, a camera and mobile phone of Swamy has also been taken into custody by the team. Swamy was questioned at his house and let off,” says Amol V Homkar, DIG, Ranchi police.
 

Input by Manmohan Singh/101Reporters

Habeus Corpus petition filed in Delhi HC against arrest of journalist Gautam Navlakha 

A Habeus Corpus petition has been filed in Delhi High Court against the arrest of journalist Gautam Navlakha. He was picked up from his Delhi home on Tuesday afternoon. The Delhi High Court will hear the petition at 4 pm. 

Won’t be cowed down, says Father Stan Swamy after raid at his residence 

“Pune police came to investigate whether I am a Maoist or not. I handed over to them whatever they demanded. Let them investigate, I will not be cowed down by such measures,” said Father Stan Swamy, addressing media persons after the raid.

Input by Manmohan Singh/ 101Reporters

New ploy to target Christians in name of Pathalgadi, says Ranchi based activist

“This is another example of government selectively targeting Christians in the name of Pathalgadi and Maoist connections. Case number 4/18 registered by Vishrambaug police station in Pune is an attempt to link Father Swamy with urban Maoists groups, which is wrong. Police brought the notice in Marathi when they knew that none here understands the language. The document they are calling press release on Pathalgadi is actually a study done by Father Swamy’s NGO, Bagaicha, regarding alleged malpractices of Missionaries of Charity in Jharkhand,” said Vasvi Kido, a social worker. 
 

Input by Manmohan Singh/101Reporters

Activist Varavara Rao arrested from Hyderabad

Varavara Rao, who was arrested following a raid on his house, is being taken to Pune, his wife said. Rao has been under house arrest for the last one and a half months. There is high tension among activists, as eight other houses have also been searched. 

This includes Professor Satyanarayana, Journalist Kranthi and Kurmanna, and close aides or fellow activists of Rao. CDs, laptops and books have been seized from their homes. 

Input by Rameshbabu /101Reporters.

Sudha Bharadwaj picked up from her Badarpur residence

Image procured by Greeshma Rai

Police personnel at Stan Swamy’s residence 

Image by Manmohan Singh, 101 Reporters

Journalist Gautam Navlakha’s home raided; taken into custody

Journalist and civil rights activist Gautam Navlakhe’s home has also been raided in connection with the organisation of Elgaar Parishad in Pune on December 31, 2017 and his alleged Maoist links, He has reportedly been taken into police custody in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence case.

Human rights activist Sudha Bharadwaj picked up from her Badarpur residence 

Human rights activist and lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj was arrested from her Delhi residence on Tuesday. The police had earlier raided her Badarpur residence and confiscated her laptop, journal, storage devices and mobile phones. The police reportedly also requested access to her email IDs and social media accounts.

Who is Stan Swamy?

Stan Swamy is a tribal rights activist who has been a supporter of the pathalgadi movement in Jharkhand since it’s inception. Swamy and 20 others, including former Congress MLA from Kolebira, Simdega district of Jharkhand, were booked by Khunti police on 30 July for sedition under sections 121, 121A and 124A of the IPC and Sections 66A and 66F of the IT Act.

Pathalgadi are stone slabs bearing inscriptions that villagers in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have, over the past year, appropriated to declare their “independence” from the state and central government, and as signposts to mark tribal agitation.

ACP Shivaji Pawar of Pune Police has been investigating the case and had personally coordinated with DIG Ranchi, AV Homkar to ensure raid is conducted swiftly in wee hours of the morning.

Input by Manmohan Singh, 101Reporters

Police confiscates CDs, laptop, camera from Stan Swamy’s home

The team of Pune police which raided the home of Stan Swamy has confiscated 21 CDs, 2 SIM cards, a laptop, camera, a list of tribal freedom fighters from Jharkhand and a press release about the Khunti gangrape case during the raid. They also took in possession Swamy’s mobile phone. 

Input by Manmohan Singh, 101 Reporters

Police raided Ranchi-based activist Stan Swamy’s house at 6 am today

Maharashtra police arrived at Stan Swamy’s house at 6 am and presented an official letter in Marathi. Swamy refused to sign it without a translation, so the police provided an undertaking of having explained the letter to him sentence by sentence. 

Input by Siraj Dutta 

Proffesor K Satyanarayana’s Hyderabad home raided

K Satyanarayana, a cultural studies professor at English and Foreign Languages University, (EFL-U), was also among a row of Left-leaning intellectuals whose houses were raided today. 

Police personnel entered Satyanarayana’s residence in the EFL-U campus at around 10 am and the raid is still underway. Satyanarayana’s father-in-law and noted Left-wing intellectual Varavara Rao’s Hyderabad home was also raided.

Residence of Ranchi-based activist Stan Swamy raided 

A team of nine police personnel from Maharashtra Police, led by inspector Deepak Nigam, raided the residence of a noted social worker, Fr. Stan Swamy in Namkom area of Ranchi, Jharkhand, at around 6am on Tuesday. DIG, Ranchi range, AV Homkar confirmed the development and said that objectionable material has been confiscated from the residence of Stan Swamy. 

Input By Manmohan Singh, 101 Reporters

Pune Police arrested Elgaar Parishad members, left-leaning thinkers in Bhima Koregaon incident

The Pune Police had arrested five people, including prominent Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale, for allegedly having close Maoist links from Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi in connection with the 1 January incident. All the five were arrested in a case registered against the organisers of Elgaar Parishad held in Pune ahead of the Bhima-Koregaon incident.

It is alleged that provocative speeches were made at the Elgaar Parishad held on 31 December last year at the historic Shaniwarwada fortification in Pune.

The Elgar Parishad was organised to commemorate 200 years of the Bhima Koregaon battle in which British forces, comprising a large number of Dalit soldiers, had defeated the Peshwas who had represented the Maratha empire. ​Dalits view the battle as the defeat of “casteist” Peshwas, who were Brahmins.

Jharkhand-based Dalit rights activist allege Varavara Rao, other Left-wing activists taken in custody 

Police investigation in Bhima-Koregaon violence turned towards Left-wing activists in March

In the violence at Bhima Koregaon, two communities clashed over the celebration of the victory in Bhima-Koregaon battle. Large groups had burnt and stoned vehicles and property injuring doens, while one person was killed.

Initially, the investigation targetted Hindu extremist outfits and Maratha-right activists in Pune and Maharashtra, but later in March the Pune Police said that there was no evidence against Shiv Prathishtan Hindustan leader Sambhaji Bhide who reportedly gave an inflammatory speech near the Bhima Koregaon village, days before the violence broke out.

Since then, the investigation turned to explore the role of ‘Maoist sympathisers’ and Dalit-right activists in instigating the violence.

Maharashtra Police raids Mumbai home of Arun Ferreira

Another person whose residence was raided in Mumbai is Arun Farreira, political activist, cartoonist, and alumnus of St Xavier’s college Mumbai. Farreira, like Gonsalves, was picked up in 2007 from his home by the Maharashtra ATS and remained in prison till 2011. He faced charges of sedition under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). However, the charges were scrapped in 2014, according to  The Indian Express . 

He was again arrested in 2011 and taken to a police station in Gadchiroli district. The arrest was made for two cases of Naxalite attacks in 2007 and the court allowed police custody even as Ferreira complained of abduction. He finally stepped out of prison in 2012.

Home of activist Vernon Gonsalves raided in Mumbai 

A team of Maharashtra Police raided the Mumbai home of activists Vernon Gonsalves in Mumbai. According to 101 Reporters, the raid at Gonsalves’s house began at around 6 am and is still underway. 

Gonsalves is a  former professor of business organization at a prominent Mumbai college. He has been previously accused of having links to banned Naxalite outfits. Gonsalves was also labelled an ex-central committee member and former secretary of Maharashtra State Rajya Committee of the Naxalites. He has spent six years in prison between 2007 and 2013, when he was picked up by the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad from his Mumbai residence in August 2017. 

He was convicted under various sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Arms Act in 2007 by a Mumbai court.

Maharahstra Police conducts nation-wide raids in connection with Bhima Koregaon violence

Taking the investigation in the Bhima Koregaon incident forward, the Maharashtra Police is reportedly conducting raids across India at homes of activists most of whome are politically Left-leaning. Reports suggest that teams of Maharashtra Police simultaneously conducted raids in Goa, Mumbai, Ranchi, Hyderabad, and Delhi.