The petition in the Bhima Koregaon case was filed by academics Romila Thapar, Prabhat Patnaik, Devaki Jain and Satish Deshpande. The petition said the arrests were “arbitrary” and were made without evidence.
Meanwhile, the Pune police is seeking the custody of arrested activists Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira. They were produced in a Pune sessions court on Wednesday, August 29. On Tuesday morning, teams of the Pune Police raided the houses of several activists in Mumbai, Ranchi, Hyderabad, Delhi, Faridabad and Goa, in connection with investigations into a public meeting organised before caste-related violence erupted at Bhima Koregaon near Pune on January 1. The search warrants cite sections of the anti-terrorism law, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to the offence of promoting enmity between groups.
Yesterday evening, the joint commissioner of police, Shivaji Bodakhe, confirmed the arrests of five activists: Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in Mumbai, Gautam Navlakha in New Delhi, Sudha Bharadwaj in Faridabad, Varavara Rao in Hyderabad. Hours later, in a dramatic midnight hearing, a court ordered that Sudha Bharadwaj remain under house arrest till August 30 and not be taken to Pune until then. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had stayed the order of a local court granting the Maharashtra Police transit remand to take Gautam Navlakha to Pune. He will also remain under house arrest until the court hears his case on Wednesday at 2.15 pm. In Navlakha’s case, the police have sought more time to translate documents related to the case from Marathi to English. Sudha Bhardawaj’s plea before the Punjab and Haryana High Court had also claimed that she was given arrest documents in Marathi, which she does not understand.
National Human Rights Commission have issued a notice to the Maharasthra government over the arrest of the activists in connection with Bhima-Koregaon violence. In its notice to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, the Commission has said that proper procedure was not followed by the police in the arrests and has asked for a report within four weeks. Reacting to the notice, Maharashtra minister Deepak Vasant Kesarkar said the arrests were not politically motivated. He also added that this fight is for the country and Naxalism is a major threat to the country. Susan Abraham, wife of Vernon Gonsalves who was arrested on Tuesday, said that the raids are being conducted under government’s pressure. “This is being done under government’s pressure. If you think Bhima Koregaon was an assassination plot, then file an FIR. You’ve made this case, will it stand before the court?,” she said.
Surendra Gadling is known for his defence of adivasis, Dalits and political prisoners. S. Vanchinathan was helping Sterlite victims in Tuticorin. Chikkudu Prabhakar, a Hyderabad human rights advocate has already spent six months in Sukma jail in Chhattisgarh on absurd charges. Sudha Bharadwaj is also a labour lawyer and activist. Going by the charges against her – IPC 153A, 505(1)(b), 117, 120B, 34, UAPA 13,16,17,18,18B, 20, 38,39, 40 – one would think that she is a dangerous terrorist and not the hugely respected trade unionist, labour lawyer, and visiting professor at the National Law University Delhi that she is. She said that those speaking against human rights violation and fighting for the rights of Dalits and tribals are being targeted by the “present regime”.
CPI(M) member Sitaram Yechury has called for a joint protest by all Left parties against the arrests of the activists. All five have been arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, India’s sweeping anti-terrorism law. The UAPA, along with the National Security Act, 1980, are the two swords of the law that are used to combat terrorism.
Attempt to silence masses
Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar said the arrests were an attempt to “silence” the masses. He said that those raising their NGOs and non-political, and had their roots in the masses.
He has been quoted as saying: “With these raids, the government is trying to silence the masses, but I doubt whether the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will be silent. They will be more active in opposing the government because they do not have any stake.
“They do not contest elections. Their only interest is to see that democracy and human rights are safeguarded in this country. That is their motive. They will be more aggressive now than earlier.”
Situation politicised, says Shiv Sena
Even Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande came out against the arrests, saying teh real people behind the Koragaon-Bhima violence had not been arrested. She said: “Arresting people by linking them to Maoists is creating an environment in the country. If attempts are made to politicise this situation, it is wrong.”
– India legal Bureau