India News

Pune police raid, detain human rights activists across country, for alleged ‘Maoist links’

Published

8 years ago

August 28, 2018

Stan Swamy, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Gautam Navlakha, Sudha Bharadwaj, Varavara Rao

In an early morning swoop, Pune police carried out raids on several Dalit and human rights activists in Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana, Goa, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on charges of suspected Maoist links.

Among those whose houses were searched are Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in Mumbai, Gautam Navlakha in New Delhi, Sudha Bharadwaj in Faridabad and Stan Swamy in Ranchi.

Bharadwaj, who has worked as a human rights lawyer in Chhattisgarh for many decades, was detained at the Surajkund police station in Faridabad.

In Hyderabad, raids were reported from the homes of Varavara Rao and his family members, and two other activists, Kranti Tekula and Naseem.

The activists were detained and reports about some of them said they have been formally arrested. They include Varavara Rao and Kranti Tekula in Hyderabad and Gautam Navlakha in New Delhi. Both would be produced by Pune Police in local courts for transit remand after medical checkup. They were questioned for 4-6 hours after which they were arrested, said reports.

In Mumbai, the homes of Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Susan Abraham were raided. According to sources, the raids were conducted from around 6 a.m. at Ferreira’s Thane residence and the Andheri homes of Gonsalves and Abraham, said media reports.

Vernon Gonsalves is also a human rights lawyer and activist. Gonsalves and Ferreira were earlier accused of Naxalite connections, but were acquitted of related charges in 2012. Ferreira, who in 2012 was acquitted of charges of being a Naxalite, told Scroll.in that he has been involved in the case against Surendra Gadling, a Nagpur-based lawyer who was among the five social activists arrested in June on charges of stirring up violence in Bhima Koregaon.

Susan Abraham is a civil liberties lawyer and is part of the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR).

In Goa, the police raided professor Anand Teltumbde’s on-campus premises at the Goa Institute of Management (GIM), located in Sanquelim in North Goa, where he is a senior professor.

“He is out of Goa and his house was locked. He was informed by an official at the Institute that police had arrived at the campus with sanction to raid his house,” said media reports quoting an unnamed source at the GIM.

Prof. Teltumbde, who specialises in “strategy, productions and operations, project management, and business analytics” at GIM, is also a Dalit scholar, writer and social commentator.

The local police in some states, said media reports, were not involved in the raids nor were they informed.

The raids are said to be connected to investigations into a public meeting organised days before caste-related violence erupted at Bhima Koregaon near Pune on January 1. Rights activists said more raids are in progress in other parts of the country.

According to police, the searches are being conducted at the residences of the persons having Maoists links and who were directly or indirectly connected with the organizers of ‘Elgaar Parishad’.

Police claim the speeches made at the Elgaar Parishad, a day ahead of the bicentennial celebration of the battle of Bhima Koregaon, were one of the triggers to the violence that was witnessed in and around Pune the next day.

The police claimed that the names of these people had emerged in the interrogations of five activists and lawyers it had arrested in June in the same case. On June 6, it had arrested Sudhir Dhawale, leader of Mumbai-based Republican Panthers Jati Antachi Chalwal, Delhi-based activist Rona Wilson of Committee of Release of Political Prisoners, Nagpur lawyer Surendra Gadling of Indian Association of People’s Lawyers, Nagpur University professor Shoma Sen, and Mahesh Raut who had in the past been Prime Minister’s Rural Development Fellow.

While producing them in court the next day, Pune police had claimed that documents and information recovered from some of these alleged “top urban Maoist operatives” revealed plans to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a “Rajiv Gandhi like manner” last year. All the five, charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, are currently in being held in magisterial custody, and lodged in Yervada central prison in Pune.

The Pune police have been investigating the circumstances that led to violence at Bhima Koregaon, where large groups burnt and stoned vehicles and property. One person died during the clashes. An initial outcry focused attention on the role of Hindutva groups in instigating the violence.

In March, however, the state government said that there was no evidence against Shiv Prathishtan Hindustan leader Sambhaji Bhide who reportedly gave an inflammatory speech near the village of Bhima Koregaon days before the New Year violence.

Since June, the police investigation pivoted to focus on activists working with Dalits, Adivasis and political prisoners instead. The police have been claiming that speeches made at the public meeting in Pune, called the Elgaar Parishad, actually sparked the violence. The investigators have been targeting activists who they allege helped organise the meeting.

The Elgaar Parishad was organised to commemorate the 200thanniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon which happened on January 1 in 1818, in which a British army comprising of a large number of Dalit soldiers is said to have defeated the Peshwas. Every year on January 1, thousands of Dalits assemble in Pune and march to the village of Koregaon Bhima which has a war memorial (Jaystambh) in memory of those who died in that battle.

Police claim investigations had shown that banned Maoist groups were involved in financing and organising the Elgaar Parishad event.

Related Topics:Human Rights Narendra Modi Pune Police

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Air India sacks Phuket-Delhi flight pilot after failing drug test

Air India has terminated the Phuket-Delhi flight pilot after a confirmatory test found a psychoactive substance following the August 4 incident.

Published

13 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

Air India has terminated the employment of the pilot-in-command of a Phuket-Delhi flight after he tested positive for a psychoactive substance.

The pilot was in command of flight AI2379, which was travelling from Phuket to Delhi on August 4 when the aircraft suddenly lost altitude over Odisha. The incident left 24 passengers injured.

Air India said the termination was in line with its zero-tolerance policy regarding safety violations and regulatory requirements.

Air India terminates pilot with immediate effect

In a statement, the Tata-owned airline said the pilot-in-command had tested positive for a psychoactive substance.

The airline said that, considering its zero-tolerance approach to violations related to safety, fitness and regulatory requirements, the pilot’s employment had been terminated with immediate effect.

Air India also said it continues to cooperate fully with the investigation into the incident and has provided access to relevant operational, maintenance and technical records.

What happened on the Phuket-Delhi flight?

According to the preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the Airbus A320 was carrying 145 people when it experienced the near-simultaneous loss of all three hydraulic systems while cruising at around 36,000 feet.

The technical failure resulted in the autopilot disconnecting and triggered a brief stall warning. The aircraft subsequently lost altitude, resulting in injuries to 24 passengers.

The preliminary report also noted that the pilot tested non-negative for a psychoactive substance in a confirmatory test.

However, the report did not establish that the pilot’s drug-test result caused or contributed to the hydraulic system failure or the subsequent loss of altitude.

AAIB recommends action over psychoactive substance finding

The AAIB described the confirmation of psychoactive substance use as a serious concern and recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take appropriate action against the pilot on priority.

The investigation into the technical and other aspects of the incident is still underway.

The preliminary report also noted that the co-pilot was flying the aircraft when the incident occurred and attempted to bring the situation under control.

Air India said safety remains its highest priority and that its pilots undergo training, proficiency checks, medical examinations and other regulatory assessments in accordance with applicable requirements.

India News

India offers forensic DNA support to identify Nepal flood victims

India will make forensic laboratory facilities available for DNA profiling of first-degree relatives of people missing after Nepal’s August 26 flash floods.

Published

18 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

India has offered forensic laboratory support to help identify people who remain missing after the devastating flash floods in Nepal.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said central and state forensic laboratories in India will make their DNA profiling facilities available for first-degree biological relatives of people missing after the August 26 flash floods in Nepal.

DNA samples can be provided by relatives in India

According to the MEA, first-degree biological relatives living in India can have their biological samples collected and DNA profiles prepared.

The relatives can include a person’s father, mother, son, daughter or sibling. DNA profiling can be carried out at Central Forensic Science Laboratories (CFSLs), State Forensic Science Laboratories (SFSLs), laboratories of the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), and NABL-accredited laboratories with DNA profiling capabilities.

The initiative is intended to support Nepal’s ongoing process of identifying mortal remains recovered after the flash floods.

DNA profiles to be compared with unidentified remains

The MEA said the DNA profiling may use Autosomal STR DNA profiling, as advised by Nepal Police, subject to the technical requirements communicated by the Nepali authorities.

Once prepared, DNA profiles and the preliminary information required by Nepalese authorities can be sent to Nepal Police by email for comparison with DNA profiles obtained from unidentified mortal remains.

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu will also facilitate coordination, with copies of the DNA profiles to be shared with the embassy for this purpose.

Nepal flood death toll rises

The death toll from the flash floods has risen to at least 1,259, according to Nepalese authorities, after rescue workers recovered additional bodies from affected areas.

More than 12,000 people have been rescued, while around 5,000 people remain missing as search and rescue operations continue.

The flash floods, which followed an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, caused extensive destruction across towns and villages in northern and central Nepal.

India News

PM Modi hails ISRO after successful GSLV-F17 launch, calls it proud moment

PM Modi congratulated ISRO after GSLV-F17 successfully launched EOS-05, calling the achievement a proud moment for India.

Published

22 hours ago

September 4, 2026

APNLive Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) after the successful launch of the GSLV-F17 rocket carrying the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite, describing the achievement as a proud moment for the nation.

The GSLV-F17 lifted off at 2:55 a.m. IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The EOS-05 satellite was subsequently placed into its designated sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit.

PM Modi praises ISRO’s growing capabilities

In a post on X, PM Modi said the successful mission reflected the excellence, innovation and expanding capabilities of India’s space sector.

Yet another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a proud moment for our nation.

The successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05, India’s first-ever imaging satellite from Geosynchronous orbit is a reflection of the excellence, innovation and growing capabilities that define… https://t.co/fXzwnSmwAF
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 4, 2026

He also highlighted the growing partnership between ISRO and Indian industry, saying it was strengthening India’s space programme and expanding capabilities across the wider space ecosystem.

The prime minister described the successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05 as another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a matter of national pride.

EOS-05 strengthens earth observation capabilities

According to the report, EOS-05 is India’s first-ever imaging satellite from geosynchronous orbit. The satellite is designed to provide continuous observation of the country from an altitude of nearly 36,000 km above Earth.

The mission is expected to strengthen India’s earth observation capabilities and support advanced imaging and observation applications.

ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan expressed satisfaction with the mission, saying the satellite was precisely injected into its intended orbit.

Mission Director Thomas Kurian described the launch as a significant milestone for the GSLV programme. He said it was the 19th flight of the GSLV and noted that EOS-05 is the heaviest satellite the launch vehicle has placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit or sub-GTO orbit.

GSLV-F17 launch vehicle details

The GSLV-F17 stands 51.7 metres tall and has an approximate liftoff mass of 420.5 tonnes.

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh also congratulated the ISRO team following the successful mission. He described EOS-05 as a state-of-the-art Earth observation satellite capable of advanced imaging across visible, infrared, multispectral and hyperspectral bands.