Vernon Gonsalves

Extra Bio Info:

Vernon Gonsalves was detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On August 28, 2018, police in Maharashtra arrested several prominent Dalit and Adivasi rights activists, including Gonsalves. Authorities accused Gonsalves and others 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. Gonsalves was reportedly charged under various sections of the Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

On August 30, 2018, Gonsalves was placed under house arrest.

On October 5, 2018, several UN human rights experts expressed concern that the charges against Gonsalves and other activists in the case are “being used to silence human rights defenders who promote and protect the rights of India’s Dalit, indigenous, and tribal communities.”

On October 26, 2018, Gonsalves was taken into custody after a Pune Sessions court rejected their bail applications and petitions to extend his house arrest.

On February 14, 2020, Gonsalves’s case was transferred from Pune, Maharashtra, to a special National Investigation Agency court in Mumbai.

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.

In September 2022, it was reported that prison authorities had denied Gonsalvez proper medical care and refused to take him to a hospital despite the deterioration of his health.  When he was finally brought to a hospital after intervention from his family and lawyer, he was diagnosed with dengue, which he had reportedly been suffering from for two weeks.

On July 28, 2023, the Supreme Court granted bail to Gonsalves.

On August, 5, 2023, Gonsalves was released from prison. 

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