Activist Varavara Rao, who was arrested recently by the Pune police, has been sent back to his residence and k... Read More

Human rights activists and lawyers Sudha Bhardwaj, Gautam Navlakha , Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves, and writer and Maoist ideologue P Varavara Rao , who were arrested by the Pune police in multi-city raids on Tuesday, were taken back to their homes and placed under house arrest in their cities on Thursday, in line with Wednesday’s Supreme Court order.

Rao was flown back to Hyderabad early Thursday morning and escorted to his Gandhinagar home by 10 policemen who, after he spoke to reporters at home, told him not to talk to the media for too long and to shut the door from inside. Gonsalves and Ferreira were taken back to their residences in Mumbai and Thane, respectively.

Navlakha was brought back to his home in Delhi, while the Punjab and Haryana high court, hearing a habeas corpus petition, extended its stay on transit remand for Sudha Bhardwaj till September 6 and directed that she be kept under house arrest at her home in Badarpur from where she had been taken into custody on Tuesday morning.

An officer and three constables are accompanying each of the activists, a senior police officer said.

Driven non-stop from Faraskhana police station in Pune in a police van with an armed police escort team, Gonsalves and Ferreira were first taken to Andheri police station in Mumbai where, after completing formalities and dropping off Gonsalves at his Andheri East home, the van proceeded to Thane’s Naupada police station and after an exchange of papers dropped Ferreira at his residence.

Govt, not us, hatched a conspiracy, says Varavara Rao

In Hyderabad, talking to reporters in the corridor of their apartment complex, Varavara Rao said: “On September 6, again government arguments will be heard by the court (Supreme Court). As of now, we have got one week’s relief. This development is a temporary slap in the government’s face. During the arguments in court, the prosecution claimed we had hatched a conspiracy. But developments in the last few days indicate that it is actually the government that has hatched a conspiracy to put us behind bars. All that the prosecution claims is the outbreak of violence in Bhima Koregaon was a result of the Elgar Parishad speech in which we vowed to fight against fascism.”

Though many people, mostly activists and journalists, wanted to meet Varavara Rao, police denied them permission since he was under house arrest. “Except Varavara Rao’s wife and children, no one will be allowed to get inside his house. If any authorised advocate wants to meet him, only he or she will be allowed,’’ a senior Hyderabad police officer told TOI.

Gonsalves returned to the Sher E Punjab locality, where he lives with his lawyer wife Susan Abraham and son Sagar, at 7.30am. Four constables took up position outside his ground-floor house — two in the compound and two at the gate — to prevent him from stepping out for seven days, till the next hearing in SC on September 8.

An officer at MIDC police station said it was the Pune police that was keeping watch. Gonsalves declined to meet mediapersons. His son, Sagar, said he was relieved to have him back. “But the battle continues. This is temporary relief,” Sagar added.

Arguments over their custodial remand had concluded before a Pune court on Wednesday when the SC’s house arrest order came.

In Mumbai, Gonsalves’ son, Sagar, later told a TV channel: “It really hurts when someone close to you has to undergo such an ordeal. It is hurtful and infuriating to hear comments like he was acquitted earlier for lack of evidence, especially when you see all the things that were planted as false evidence against him.” He added: “People who say let him be put through the criminal justice system need to experience first-hand how the system works.”

Sagar’s Facebook post shortly after the arrest had been widely read.

He related how his mother prepared tea for the constables and kept them in good humour. Gonsalves’ wife, Susan Abraham, said, “Vernon is fine, he has been watching TV coverage and catching up on sleep. He has not met visitors, though.” Gonsalves’ neighbours held opposing views. Some criticised sections of the media for “biased coverage,” others remarked that nobody knew what went on behind closed doors.

A society committee member who is a good friend of Gonsalves said Susan was legal adviser to the housing society, offered legal aid to poor people who came seeking it and attended flag-hoisting ceremonies.

