Maharashtra officials told to pay activist Rs 2 lakh for blocking letter from jail to mother
Arun Ferreira’s letter described his relationship with his co-accused in the Bhima Koregaon case Stan Swamy, who died in custody in 2021.
The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has asked the state government and the superintendent of the Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai to pay compensation of Rs 2 lakh to activist Arun Ferreira for failing to send to his mother a letter he had written to her.
Ferreira is among the 16 activists, academics and lawyers who were charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for their alleged role in instigating caste violence at Bhima Koregaon near Pune in January 2018. He spent about five years in jail and was released on bail in August.
The police claim that the accused persons were involved in organising an Elgar Parishad event on December 31, 2017, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the battle of Bhima Koregaon. Provocative speeches at this event led to large-scale violence the next day, according to the police.
Justice KK Tated, the chairperson of the commission, said that withholding Ferreira’s letter violated his fundamental rights of equality, freedom of speech and personal liberty.
“I recommend respondent [the superintendent and the home department] to pay a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the complainant [Ferreira],” the order read.
Tated also remarked that the Taloja prison superintendent had committed a “great mistake” by not forwarding Ferreira’s letter to his mother in July...
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