‘Decision highlights lack of evidence against activists’

Human rights activist Gautam Navlakha was arrested by the Pune police in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence on Aug 28, 2018. (PTI/File)

A coalition of 38 organisations supporting the human right activists accused and arrested for their alleged role in Bhima Koregaon riots, welcomed the Delhi High Court decision lifting house arrest of activist Gautam Navlakha on Monday.

“The Delhi HC verdict proves how there is lack of evidence, and allegations against the human right activists is a tactic to divert attention from other issues,” said advocate Susan Abraham, whose husband Vernon Gonsalves remains under hour arrest. Abraham added that they will now initiate the process of bail application for other activists under arrest.

The 38 organisations underlined their demand to scrap the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act under which the activists have been booked.

On August 28, the Pune police conducted simultaneous raids in houses of civil rights activists — Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves (Mumbai), Anand Teltumbde (Goa), Gautam Navlakha (Delhi), Varavara Rao, K V Kumaranath, Kranthi Tekula and Professor Satyanarayana (Hyderabad), Sudha Bharadwaj (Faridabad), Stan Swamy (Jharkhand). In June, the Pune police had arrested activist Dr Sudhir Dhawale, lawyer Surendra Gadling, professor Shoma Sen, activist Mahesh Raut and Rona Wilson in the same case.

Following their arrest, a public interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court.

“The SC judgment dismissed the petition but allowed a window of four weeks so that the arrested activists can seek relief from lower court. In a minority judgment, Justice Chandrachud showed doubt over letters submitted as evidence. He rightly points to a letter allegedly written by Sudha Bharadwaj submitted as evidence. It has 17 Marathi words and Bharadwaj is a Hindi speaking woman,” said advocate Nihal Singh Rathod, also representing the activists in Pune court.

“Five labourers with our union continue to remain under arrest. The chargesheet alleges that they received money from Maoists. They are daily wagers who have lost months of their lives,” said N Vasudevan, from New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI). The bail application for five labourers was rejected by the Sessions court.
Shiraz Prabhu, attached with Kashtakari Sanghatna, said: “The cases against the activists is an attempt to take away their work to protect rights of Dalits, farmers and marginalised population,” Prabhu said.

Meanwhile, an inquiry by a two-member commission appointed by the state government to examine what led to the violent clashes in Bhima Koregaon on January 1 is underway.