South Asia

July 5, 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of Father Stan Swamy, who’s death in judicial custody in Maharashtra has been condemned for the institutional murder that it was; the 84 year old activist priest, who died of maltreatment by the prison authorities in Mumbai after suffering from the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic was an activist priest remembered for his path-brteaking work among Adivasis in Jharkand

Court awards ₹18.44 Lakh Compensation to Father of 19-Year-Old Who Died in Police Custody, Rules that every unnatural custodial death, even if classified as suicide, raises constitutional liability

The writer writes; Jaswant Singh Khalra never carried a gun. His weapons were documents, persistence and moral courage. He asked a simple question: Where have all the sons of Punjab gone? This is what the film recounts and why it threatens the Indian state

A viral podcast featuring alleged derogatory remarks about Prophet Muhammad has placed Nazia Elahi Khan at the centre of nationwide controversy, triggering multiple FIRs, police complaints and protests across several states. The episode has also renewed scrutiny of her record of alleged communal hate speech through speeches, campaigns and online interventions

Court quashes the externment of SDPI leader Saeed Ahmad Abdul Wahid Chaudhary holding that peaceful protests against government policies cannot justify banishing a citizen from his

The eight page letter, dated June 28, 2026 but released publicly on July 3, includes signatories Mallikarjun Kharge, President, INC, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party MP, Mamata Banerjee, TMC, Turchi Silva, DMK and independent MP, Kapil Sibal; the signatures of DMK. AAP assume significance as both parties had distanced themselves from INDIA bloc.

On the fifth anniversary of the tragic death of the People’s Priest, an associate writes that, if alive Fr Stan Swamy would have been at the forefront of all the ongoing struggles of the Adivasis