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Activists’ arrest: Pune police seek 90 days extension for filing chargesheet
Pune police on Friday filed an application in the sessions court seeking an extension of 90 days to file the charge sheet against activists Sudha Bhardwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Varavara Rao, all accused of inciting violence in the Elgar Parishad case
Pune police on Friday filed an application in the sessions court seeking an extension of 90 days to file the charge sheet against activists Sudha Bhardwaj, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves and Varavara Rao, all accused of inciting violence in the Elgar Parishad case. The prosecution sought more time from the court for filing the charge sheet by moving the application under section 43(d) of Unlawful activities prevention act (Uapa) saying further investigation are in progress.
The extension-seeking application was moved by ACP Shivaji Pawar through public prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar before Uapa Judge Kishore D Vadane, who will hear the matter now on November 26 . Three activists –Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Thomas Ferreira and Sudha Bharadwaj Rao are in judicial custody, while P Varavara Rao has been remanded to police custody.
Pawar, in her submission before the court, stated that she has gone through the case diary and other material made available to her and is satisfied about the progress in the investigation. Police had arrested the activists on August 28, although a day later the Supreme Court put them under house arrest.
.ACP Shivaji Pawar, Investigating Officer, said, “As a matter of abundant precaution , we have calculated the period of arrest from the day the accused were directed to be put under house arrest. We have now moved the application before the court and the matter has been scheduled for hearing on November 26 ,” said Pawar.
The present report is filed for extending the period of investigation for a further 90 days, she stated.
A special court in September granted a 90-day extension to the Pune police for filing a charge sheet against the five activists, Sudhir Dhawale (from Mumbai), Rona Wilson (from Delhi), lawyer Surendra Gadling, former PMRD fellow Mahesh Raut and academician Soma Sen (all from Nagpur), during simultaneous raids on June 6, in connection with the Elgar Parishad case. The Bombay High Court later quashed a special court’s order granting the police an extension of 90 days to file a charge sheet against five activists.
