Gender: Male

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Unspecified

Caste: Dalit

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes

Date of Detainment: April/14/2020

Date of Release: November/26/2023

Current Status: Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Civil Rights Work for Religious Communities Human Rights Work for Religious Communities

Nature of Charges: Hate Speech Terrorism Treason & Sedition

Anand Teltumbde

Extra Bio Info:

Anand Teltumbde was detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On April 14, 2020, Teltumbde, a scholar and author, surrendered to the National Investigation Agency after the Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail the month before. Teltumbde was charged alongside several other prominent Dalit and Adivasi rights activists, whom authorities accused of inciting caste-based violence through speeches on December 31, 2017, that resulted in violent clashes the next day in Bhima Koregaon and neighboring villages in Maharashtra state.  Authorities also accused them of having ties to banned Maoist groups. Teltumbde was reportedly charged under various sections of the Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In August 2021, the National Investigation Agency submitted draft charges to a special court in Mumbai, claiming that Gonsalves and others accused in the case were active members of the banned terrorist organization Communist Party of India. It also alleged that the accused wanted to establish a “janta sarkar” “via revolution supported by a commitment to protracted armed struggle to undermine and to seize power from the state.” The accused were charged with over a dozen offenses including, "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony" (Sec. 153A IPC), public mischief (Sec. 505(1)(B) IPC), “waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India” (Sec. 121 IPC), “conspiracy to commit offences” waging war against the state (Sec. 121A IPC), sedition (Sec. 124A IPC), and several sections under UAPA.

On March 2, 2022, the Bombay High Court granted Teltumbde a two-day leave from prison between March 8, 2022, to March 10, 2022, to visit his mother after the death of his brother in November 2021.

On November 18, 2022, the Bombay High Court granted Teltumbde bail but stayed the order for a week.

On November 26, 2023, Teltumbde was released from prison on bail. 

Teltumbde suffers from various ailments and has reportedly not received adequate medical care.

Related Cases: Shoma Sen, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Hany Babu, Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor, Sagar Tatyarao Gorakhe, Jyoti Jagtap, Stan Swamy

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