maharashtra Police | SabrangIndia

FIRs for hate speech registered against BJP MLAs Nitesh Rane and Geeta Jain: Maharashtra Police to Bombay High Court

sabrang — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:17:24 +0000

The Maharashtra Police on Tuesday, April 23 finally informed the Bombay High Court that criminal cases have been registered against BJP MLA Nitesh Rane for alleged hate speeches in Malwani, Mankhurd, Ghatkopar. FIR is also registered against MLA Gita Jain for alleged hate speech in Mira Bhayander from January to March this year, reported LiveLaw and Bar & Bench.

The FIRs have been registered under sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups on ground of religion etc.), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and other relevant provisions of the IPC. These developments that have taken nearly three months to unfold and only after citizens approached the Bombay High Court.

On February 3, 2024, citizens of Mira Road-Bhayander had lodged a complaint with the local police against MLA Geeta Jan for delivering hate speech. NO FIR was registered. The Citizens for Justice & Peace (CJP) had filed complaints against Rane earlier this year. On April 2, CJP’s complaint to the jurisdictional police at Dongri, Mumbai and Thane flagged the hate speeches of the BJP MLA from Kankavli, Nitish Rane. He had made the incendiary speech in Dongri on February 27 and thereafter in Thane accusing the Muslim Minority — of ‘land jihad’ and threatened to evict them. He said he will burn them in a generator, terming the residents as illegal Bangladeshis. Additionally, he warned the police to take law and order in his own hand if the police did not comply with his directives. Three previous complaints related to hate speech and events in January-February 2024 were filed on February 23 this year. CJP has invoked recent orders of the Supreme Court in the Shaheen Abdullah Case (WP (C) 940/2022) to approach jurisdictional officers and district magistrates (DMs) with these complaints while also ensuring that the Director General of Police is cognisant of these citizens’ actions.

Today, April 23, Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegavkar also told the Bombay High court that 13 cases have been registered regarding the violence that erupted in Mira Road between January 22 and January 26, 2024. A division bench of Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Manjusha Deshpande directed the State to file an affidavit on this by June 12, and kept the case for further hearing on June 19. The court was dealing with a writ petition seeking action against MLAs Nitesh Rane, Geeta Jain, and T Raja for allegedly delivering hate speeches and inciting violence.

Senior Advocate Gayatri Singh for the petitioners relied on Amish Devgan v. Union of India and submitted that section 295A should be invoked. Venegavkar said that the investigation has commenced and the Police Commissioners will decide whether section 295A should be invoked.

The court had earlier directed the Mumbai and Mira Bhayander Police Commissioners to review recordings and transcripts of alleged hate speeches by BJP MLAs Nitesh Rane, Geeta Jain, and T Raja and inform the court if FIRs will be registered against them. The court had also directed the police to take necessary preventive action to ensure communal harmony and maintain law and order during the Ram Navami festival on April 17, 2024.

The petition, filed by five residents of Mumbai, highlighted instances of alleged hate speeches delivered by the MLAs in January at various locations, including Mira Road, Govandi, Ghatkopar, and Malvani.

The court had expressed the opinion opined that prima facie; certain offences appeared to have been committed based on the speech transcripts. To ensure impartiality and avoid political pressure, the court instructed the police commissioners to personally examine the videos and transcripts of the speeches.

The petitioners before the High Court also brought to the notice of the court the fact that MLA Nitesh Rane held the press conference at the press room and the office of the Mira-Bhayander Commissioner of Police, on January 23, 2024, to make the alleged hate speech. The court remarked that police premises should not be used for events to maintain the citizens’ trust in the impartiality of the police.

The five petitioners are residents of Mumbai, and two of them are victims of the violence in Mira Road, a satellite city of Mumbai. The petitioners have claimed that they made multiple attempts to get the authorities to take action against the accused for hate speech. However, the police failed to take action.

The petition alleged that the police failed to register FIRs against these individuals, despite clear directives from the Supreme Court mandating suo moto action in such cases to preserve India’s secular character. The petition referred to Supreme Court orders dated October 21, 2022, and January 13, 2023, which instructed all states and union territories to take immediate action against hate speech. The petitioners claim that the inaction of the police, despite several media reports, violates these orders and the rule of law.

The petition detailed several incidents where alleged hate speeches led to unrest and violence in various locations, including Mira Road, Govandi, and Ghatkopar. The petition argues that such speeches could trigger further violence and disrupt the upcoming elections.

The petitioners have sought directions to the police to register FIRs against MLAs Nitesh Rane, Geeta Jain, and T. Raja under sections 153, 153A, 153B, 295A, 504, and 505 of the IPC for allegedly having delivered hate speeches in Mira Road, Govandi, and Ghatkopar on various dates.

Bombay HC directs two police commissioners to personally examine videos of speeches delivered by BJP MLA Nitesh Rana, Geeta Jain and T. Raja Singh

The post FIRs for hate speech registered against BJP MLAs Nitesh Rane and Geeta Jain: Maharashtra Police to Bombay High Court appeared first on SabrangIndia.

CJP to Maharashtra Police: Halt BJP MLA Raja Singh’s rally in Mira Road, citing potential for public disruptions

sabrang — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 14:01:23 +0000

On February 20, Citizens for Justice and Peace wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Police, Mira Bhaindar expressing concern over the proposed and publicised visit of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA T. Raja Singh to Mira Road area at 5 pm on February 25, 2024. The said area, which saw bouts of communal violence in the month of January, is now on the radar of the BJP MLA as he has announced a rally that will be taken out at Mira Road on the aforementioned date and time through a video put on his social media account. As per his announcement, the said rally will be organised by the ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha’ to commemorate the birthday of Shivaji Maharaj, which is celebrated on February 19. Notably, this updated information regarding the postponement of the rally came after Singh’s planned rally on February 19 had been cancelled due to police not giving the required permission.

Highlighting the violent history associated with the ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha’ and the antecedents of BJP MLA Raja Singh, CJP emphasised upon the consequences that it could have upon Maharahtra’s social harmony by stating, “Under the name of esteemed Shivaji Maharaj, a leader revered by the Maharashtrians, for his pro-people, plural and inclusive governance, the values that he stood for has been distorted by the Hindutva groups in a way that serves their purpose of divisive politics. The far-right groups have selectively valorised (distorted) the idea of Shivaji Maharaj to a parochial and downright communal element in Maharashtra, especially over the past two and a half decades. Seeing that the rally on February 25 is being taken out by Singh in his name, it is near certain that hate-ridden and provocative speeches will be delivered and calls for violence will be made. It is also necessary to keep in mind the recent track record of the name attached with the rally and the “principles” that the speakers and the organisers stand for.”

It is essential to note that in the year 2024 itself, Singh had been booked by Maharashtra Police for allegedly making incendiary speeches at a ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh’ rally, held in Solapur, Maharashtra on January 6. Referring to the same, the letter states that “There can be no doubt that if, with Lok Sabha elections around the corner the Mira-Road Bhayander police allows T Raja Singh to address the public, this will not just be a recipe for disaster but will polarise the atmosphere and create the social climate to ensure that the vulnerable sections are prone to aggression and violence.”

The complaint also provides the recent directives issued by the Supreme Court of India in regards to curbing hate speeches, which directs the police to video tape such events that has a probability of hate speeches being delivered and then file suo-moto FIRs against the speakers and organisers.

Concerned with the role that hate speeches play in stoking communal fires and instigating violence, CJP also mentioned that “Even as the law enforcement agencies had taken stringent action against those who had indulged in vandalism and violence at the time and attempted to bring the situation under control when groups belonging to different faiths had clashed, it was the dissemination of hate speech and incendiary rhetoric by the two elected representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party, namely Geeta Jain and Nitesh Rane, that had further exacerbated tensions and contributed to the breakdown of law and order. It was only following the hate speeches delivered by these influential political personalities, especially MLA Geeta Jain, that on January 24, mobs on bikes with saffron flags had gone on a spree and vandalised shops of Muslim establishments.”

Noting the same, the letter further states “In this background, permitting another representative from the same political party, especially with a history of delivering violent hate speeches, will definitely lead to another untoward situation developing in the area.”

With this substantive background and facts, CJP urged for the Maharashtra police to urge you to take action as per sections 149 (Police to prevent cognizable offences), 150 (Information of design to commit cognizable offences) and 151 (Arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) of the CrPC and any other provisions of law, as deemed necessary by the police.

The complete letter to the police can be read here:

Download PDF

Chhattisgarh & Maharashtra: SC directs police to ensure no hate speech by BJP MLA Raja Singh & Hindu Jan Jagruti Samiti rallies

Notorious hate speech offender T Raja Singh has another case filed against him

Conduct Fair Inquiry, take action against MLAs Geeta Jain and Nitesh Rane: Citizens of Mira Road-Bhayandar

Mira Road: Muslim youth allegedly beaten in custody, denied food as Nitesh Rane tells supporters, “The Government is with you.”

Mira Road remains tense after violence outbreak

The post CJP to Maharashtra Police: Halt BJP MLA Raja Singh’s rally in Mira Road, citing potential for public disruptions appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Pune Police Raid Dalit Activists’ and Lawyers’ Houses in Bhima Koregaon case

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 06:14:02 +0000

The activists allege that the government is Afraid of the Dalits and are hence targetting them.

Image Courtesy: Firstpost

In a multi-city raid, Pune police conducted searches at houses of prominent activists, lawyers and the artists of Kabir Kala Manch in Pune, Mumbai and Delhi, which included activist Rona Wilson (Delhi) and lawyer Surendra Gadling (Nagpur). The residences of Sudhir Dhawale and Harshali Potdar, Jyoti Jagtap, Ramesh Gaichore and Dhawala Dengle were also searched in Pune. The raids were conducted in connection with the violence that took place on the 200th anniversary of celebration of the historic battle where Brahminist rule of Peshwa was challenged by Mahars of British Army.

The latest action comes three months after the registration of the First Information Report (FIR). Tushar Ramesh Damgude, a builder by profession, in his complaint on January 8, had claimed that the activists present at the event performed songs which allegedly incited violence.

The complaint strangely claims that the activists had connection with Maoist groups. Even the complainant, without any concrete evidence, claimed that young Dalits were misguided by Maoists. “I am saying that the policy of the banned Maoist organization CPI (Maoist) is to misguide the Dalit community and fill their minds with extremist Maoist thoughts,” the complaint reads.

Main Accused are Roaming Scot-free
Responding to the raids, Gadling said that the police is targetting the innocent and allowing the main accused to go scot-free. Manohar Bhide, the founder of ultra right wing group Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan and former three time BJP corporator and Samasta Hindu Aghadi chief Milind Ekbote, are accused of instigating the violence on the Dalit visitors. The Dalits had come to pay homage to 22 Mahar soldiers who died in the Bhima Koregaon battle on December 31 last year. While Ekbote is in judicial custody, Bhide has not been questioned by Pune police in the matter.

Bhide and Ekbote have been accused of unleashing violence in their areas. Bhide, who acquired the name of Sambhaji after the son of Shivaji, was in news for violence after a Ganesh pandal denied permission to put up an artiste’s impression of the assassination of Adil Shah’s army commander Afjal Khan by Shivaji Maharaj. He had also opposed the release of Jodhaa Akbar in 2008. Similarly, Ekbote, accused in 12 cases of rioting, trespassing, criminal intimidation and attempts to spread enmity between two communities, has been convicted in five cases.

Commenting on the raids, Mahesh Bharatiya told Newsclick that a supporter of Manohar Bhide appealed for the murder of the Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis. In a Facebook post, Rao Sahib Patil, a supporter of Bhide, said that the target of attacking could not be completed in Bhima Koregaon due to security and Fadanvis must be killed for it. “We submitted the evidence to government to initiate action against Bhide and his supporters but the police is targetting us now,” said Bharatiya.

An Attempt to Silence Dissidents
Gadling added that the government is trying to silence people who have stood up to the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh. “I did not participate in the Bhima Koregaon event. However, we had collected funds for it like we do for any such programme. The police are troubling us and allowing those behind the violence to go scot-free. These raids are meant to silence people who have stood up to the RSS,” added Gadling.

M N Kamble, Pune President of Bahujan Bharip Parishad, said the raids are also an attempt to divert the attention from the real perpetrators of the violence that left one dead and scores injured. “These raids are clearly aimed at diverting attention from the real culprits of the Koregaon-Bhima violence. Cops had already conducted an inquiry in the matter and did not find anything against us. But despite this, the powers are targeting us and KKM once more. This is an attempt to avoid the arrest of Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide and an attempt to create a rift, and destabilise the stronghold that the Dalit movement is becoming in its anti-government campaign,” Pune Mirror quoted Kamble as saying.

Government Afraid of Dalits
After the raids, the activists allege that the government is afraid of Dalits. That’s why they are targetting them. ” We have successfully organised three major events against the government. First, the bandh against Bhima Koregaon violence was successful. Then, thousands marched to arrest the culprits of the violence. Third, the Bharat Bandh against the dilution of SC/ST prevention of Atrocties Act was also successful. That’s why, they have started targetting Dalits. Police have seized books of Ambedkar. Is it a crime to keep Ambedkar’s books?” said Bharatiya.

Courtesy: Newsclick.in

The post Pune Police Raid Dalit Activists’ and Lawyers’ Houses in Bhima Koregaon case appeared first on SabrangIndia.