The Pune Police had recovered 'War and Peace in Junglemahal: People, State, and Maoists' from the house of Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case accused Vernon Gonsalves | Photo Credit: Times Now

Key Highlights The Pune Police had recovered several books during raid at Vernon Gonsalves’s house 'War and Peace' is a classic novel by Leo Tolstoy The Bombay HC today said it didn't intend to propose that all the books confiscated in the Koregaon Bhima case were incriminating

Mumbai: A day after reports claimed that a Bombay High Court judge asked Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case accused Vernon Gonsalves to explain why he kept "objectionable material" such as a copy of Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace', it emerged on Thursday that Justice Sarang Kotwal had actually mentioned the book 'War and Peace in Junglemahal' by Biswajit Roy.

During their raid at Gonsalves’s house, the Pune Police had recovered several books, like 'War and Peace in Junglemahal: People, State, and Maoists', 'RCP Review' and 'Understanding Maoists', and CDs.

Notably, 'War and Peace' is a classic novel by Leo Tolstoy and chronicles the French invasion of Russia, and wonderfully depicts the impact of the Napoleonic wars on people. However, what Justice Kotwal referred to during yesterday's hearing was Biswajit Roy's 'War and Peace in Junglemahal'.

"Why did you (Gonsalves) keep objectionable material such as books like 'War and Peace', books and CDs at home? You will have to explain this to the court," Justice Kotwal had said yesterday, stirring a row. The judge had also mentioned a CD titled 'Rajya Daman Virodhi' saying, "The title itself suggests it has something against the state."

His statement evoked thousands of reactions on Twitter.

However, the Bombay High Court today said it knew that Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' was a literary classic and that it didn't intend to propose that all the books confiscated in the Koregaon Bhima case were incriminating.

Earlier today, Gonsalves’ counsel informed the court that none of the books seized from Gonsalves’ residence was banned by the government in conformity with CrPC provisions.

Justice Kotwal said, "You have made your point about the books not being banned. Besides, yesterday, I was reading the whole list from the charge sheet. It was written in such poor handwriting. I know ‘War and Peace’. I was making a query on the entire list that police has mentioned (as evidence)."

On Wednesday, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to call the Bombay HC judge's statement as "truly bizarre".

"Welcome to New India," tweeted Ramesh.

Truly bizarre that somebody is being asked by a judge of the Bombay High Court to explain why he has copy of Tolstoy's War & Peace, a true classic. And to think Tolstoy was a major influence on the Mahatma.



Welcome to New India! — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 29, 2019

The Pune Police had arrested Vernon Gonsalves and four others in August 2018 in connection with the Elgar Parishad case. Gonsalves was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after raids at houses and offices of various activists

As per the cops, the caste violence around Bhima-Koregaon village in Pune district was stirred due to provocative speeches made at the Parishad on December 31, 2017. A person was killed in the violence.