Bhima Koregaon Case: Why Have You Kept ‘War And Peace’ At Home? Bombay High Court Asks Arrested Activist
Bombay High Court says Pune police too has to do “much explaining” to convince it that such books incriminate Vernon Gonsalves.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case accused Vernon Gonsalves to explain why he kept "objectionable material" like a copy of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace and some CDs at his home.
A single-judge bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal hearing the bail plea of Gonsalves and others also said that "such books" and CDs prima facie indicated they contained some material against the State.
The classic novel about Russia during Napoleonic wars became a point of contention during hearing in the Bhima Koregaon case after the Pune police investigating the matter claimed that the book was part of the "highly incriminating evidence" it had seized from Gonsalves' house in Mumbai during raids conducted a year ago.
Pune police also read out the titles of several other books and CDs allegedly recovered from Gonsalves' house which included CDs titled Rajya Daman Virodhi released by Kabir Kala Manch, Marxist Archives and Jai Bhima Comrade; books War and Peace, Understanding Maoists and RCP Review, and copies of a circular issued by National Study Circle.
The title of the CD Rajya Daman Virodhi itself suggests it has something against the State while War and Peace is about a war in another country. 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 Sarang Kotwal, Bombay High Court Judge
Gonsalves was arrested by the Pune police under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, after raids at residences and offices of several activists in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case.
The police had claimed provocative speeches made at the Elgar Parishadon on Dec. 31, 2017, were responsible for the caste violence around Bhima Koregaon village in Pune district the next day during an event to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon. One person was killed and others were injured in the violence.
Police are probing alleged Naxal links to those who organised the Elgar Parishad, which was held at historic Shaniwarwada in Pune.
Other arrested accused in the case include activists and academics Shoma Sen, Rona Wilson, Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferreira, and Gautam Navlakha.
Gonsalves' counsel Mihir Desai told the high court that the Pune police had based the entire case against him on the basis of some emails and letters recovered from the computers of other people.
"None of these letters or emails were written by Gonsalves, or were addressed to him. Therefore, in the absence of any cogent incriminating evidence against him, Gonsalves shouldn't be denied bail," Desai argued.
Opposing the bail application, advocate Aruna Pai, who is representing the Pune police, said that while the police did not find any electronic evidence against Gonsalves from the computer and hard disk recovered from his house, the raid had yielded "highly incriminating evidence" in the form of "books and CDs with objectionable titles mentioned above".
Desai countered the prosecution argument saying “mere possession” of such books and CDs “did not make Gonsalves a terrorist, or a member of any banned Maoist group”.
Agreeing with defence that mere possession of such material does not make anyone a terrorist, Justice Kotwal, however, said Gonsalves will have to explain why he kept such material at his home.
The judge also said the Pune police too has to do "much explaining" to convince the court that the material found on such CDs and the books incriminate Gonsalves.
"So far, the police have failed to provide details of what was on the CDs or in the books and pamphlets recovered that linked Gonsalves to the case. Merely stating that they have objectionable titles is not enough. Have you tested these CDs? What if they turn out to be blank inside?" the judge asked.
The bench also directed police to provide details of the source of the emails and letters, and their authors and recipients.
The arguments are likely to continue on Thursday.
Dalits celebrate the anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle every year as they believe that the British Army comprising 'Mahars', or scheduled caste soldiers, had defeated the forces of the Brahmin Peshwas.
Also Read: What Was The Bhima Koregaon Battle?