WANTED: Immediate Justice in the Bhima-Koregaon Conspiracy. By Cedric Prakash

By Dilip -

It was the virtual ‘midnight knock’! The irony was that the knock took place in broad daylight, and expectedly in a blatantly unjust, uncivilised and unconstitutional manner. On 6 June 2018, Sudhir Dhawale, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen and Rona Wilson were arrested from their residences in various parts of the country. The arrests of others then continued in a phased manner: on 28 August 2018, Arun Ferreira, Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao and Vernon Gonsalves; on 14 April 2020, Anand Teltumbde and Gautam Navlakha; on 28 July 2020, Hanybabu Tarayil; on 10 September 2020, Sagar Gorkhe, Ramesh Gaichor and (the next day) Jyoti Jagtap – all three from the Kabir Kala Manch were arrested from Pune; finally on 8 October 2020, Fr Stan Swamy was arrested from Ranchi.

Bhima Koregaon: Dalit Assertion Is Only Getting Stronger A Year After The Violence // Bhim Army Chief Detained Ahead Of Bhima Koregaon Anniversary

It is three years now since the first arrests in the Bhima-Koregaon conspiracy case were made. Today, sixteen (referred to as the BK-16) of the country’s committed citizens continue to languish in jail, with bail being denied to them and with absolutely no signs of any trial beginning. They are no ordinary men and women; they are trade unionists, human rights activists, academics, lawyers, intellectuals and artists. 

Their crime? To take sides with the poor and the marginalised, to be a voice for the voiceless, to fight for the rights of the Adivasis and Dalits, the women and children, the workers and farmers. They have fought battles in courts; helped organise people to fight for their legitimate rights; consistently exposed the nexus between the politicians and their powerfully rich friends and above all been working for a society which is more just, equitable, free, fraternal and humane. In doing so they have also raised the hackles of the BJP, RSS and their ilk, who obviously have not taken things lightly.

The arrests were preceded by interrogations and investigations; then came the raids! During the raids, the police seized their laptops, mobile phones, pen drives, CDs, documents and apparently whatever they could lay their hands upon (the tragedy was when they seized Fr Stan’s personal belongings – which consisted of practically nothing! With media posting those photos – the joke actually was on the fascist clowns!). All sixteen of them have been charged under provisions of anti-terror law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and IPC sections 153 A (promoting enmity between groups), 505 (1)(b) (with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public). 117 (abetting commission of offence by the public or by more than 10 persons). 

They have also been charged under Sections 13 (unlawful activities), 16 (terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy), 18B (recruiting of any person or persons for terrorist act) 20 (being a member of a terrorist gang or organization) and 39 (offence relating to support given to terrorist organisation) of the UAPA. All fabricated charges – without the slightest shred of evidence! Besides, fairly recently the US-based digital forensic analyst in a report has provided significant information of how so-called ‘electronic evidence’ was planted in the computer of Rona Wilson one of the sixteen!

All these arrests apparently have their ‘roots’ in a mass rally of Dalits, who assemble every year on 1 January in Bhima Koregaon, a small village about 30 km north-east of Pune; the massive rally, which brings together lakhs of Dalits from all over the country, commemorates the historic victory of lower-caste Mahar soldiers in the British army over the Brahmin Peshwa-led Maratha Empire in 1818; and 2018 marked the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle. In the run-up to the rally, a coalition of 260 non-profit organisations held on 31 December 2017, an event called ‘Elgar Parishad’ at Pune’s Shaniwar Wada. This was the seat of the Peshwai, the Brahmin rulers of the Maratha Empire who rigidly enforced caste discrimination. The Elgar Parishad featured several well-known personalities like politicians Prakash Ambedkar and Jignesh Mewani and Dalit rights activist Radhika Vemula…..

https://countercurrents.org/2021/06/wanted-immediate-justice-in-the-bhima-koregaon-conspiracy/

Father Stan Swamy: I’d rather suffer, possibly die if things go on as it is

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Colin Gonsalves: Refusal of bail to Sudha Bharadwaj is based on inadmissible evidence

Pratap Bhanu Mehta: The loneliness of Varavara Rao, Anand Teltumbde, Sudha Bharadwaj tells a disquieting tale

Pratap Bhanu Mehta - The biggest casualty in the Alok Verma affair has been the SC’s authority 

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Prem Shankar Jha: The Shadow of Haren Pandya’s Case Lies Long Over Justice Arun Mishra

Nikhila Henry - Ex CJI Gogoi's RS Nomination Calls All His Judgments Into Question, Says Legal Expert

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