A day after the pan India crackdown on activists, the action shifted to the courts today with the Supreme Court giving urgent hearing to a plea against the arrests in the afternoon and three of the five who were nabbed to be produced before a Pune court.
Telugu poet Varavara Rao and activists Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira were taken to Pune late last night and are likely to be produced in a court later in the day, a senior police official in Pune said.
The other two arrested for their suspected links with Maoists were trade unionist and lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj in Faridabad and civil liberties activist Gautam Navlakha in Delhi. The five activists - Varavara Rao, lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj, and activists Arun Fereira, Gautam Navlakha and Vernon Gonsalves - were arrested in a multi-city raid by Pune police on Tuesday.
The police said the arrests were linked to last year's Bhima Koregaon violence, in which Dalit activists had clashed with upper-caste Marathas.
In June, five people -- Sudhir Dhawale, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Rona Wilson and Shoma Sen -- were arrested for allegedly making "provocative" speeches at an event in at Bhima Koregaon village in January, which, the police said, triggered violence. Yesterday's raids were carried out on basis of what they said during interrogation, the police said.
Here are the LIVE updates on the activists' arrest case:
Aug 29, 2018 17:24 (IST)
It's not right to demoralise police. Bhima Koregaon violence was serious blow to our nation and constitution. Plot of igniting caste tensions is out in open now and police are taking action. Courts are there and if they think they're innocent, then they can seek bail, says Union Minister Hansraj Ahir
Aug 29, 2018 17:19 (IST)
In view of information regarding Supreme Court order in five activists' matter, high court to hear it tomorrow after getting copy of top court's decision: news agency PTI
Aug 29, 2018 17:10 (IST)
Hearing the case of activists' arrest, Justice DY Chandrachud said, "Dissent is the safety valve of democracy. If you don't allow the safety valve pressure cooker will burst."
Aug 29, 2018 17:02 (IST)
On activists' arrest, Supreme Court says as an interim measure all the five will be kept under house arrest at their homes till September 6.
Aug 29, 2018 16:51 (IST)
Supreme Court issues notice to Maharashtra in activists' arrest case.
Aug 29, 2018 16:46 (IST)
Arguing for the activists, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi says that those arrested are with impeccable integrity.
Aug 29, 2018 12:39 (IST)
A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra will hear the matter at 3.45 p.m. after counsel Prashant Bhushan appearing for Thapar, Daruwala and three other activists mentioned the matter for an urgent hearing.
Aug 29, 2018 12:35 (IST)
Accused activists' were planning a big conspiracy, sources in Pune police told NDTV, adding that 35 colleges were targeted for recruitment.
Aug 29, 2018 10:17 (IST)
A petition against the arrests will be filed by senior lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan and some others in the top court at 10:30 am.
Aug 29, 2018 10:08 (IST)
The raids follow the questioning of five people - Sudhir Dhawale, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Rona Wilson and Shoma Sen - who were arrested in June, sources said. They had allegedly made "provocative" speeches at the event, triggering violence at Koregaon Bhima village.