Charged with sedition, considered key planner of Elgaar Parishad, who is Sudhir Dhawale?
According to Pune Police, due to instigation through 'inflammatory speeches' given at Elgaar Parishad meeting, violent clashes broke out on January 1, 2018, between Maratha and Dalit groups near Koregaon-Bhima in Pune district.
Born in Nagpur, Sudhir Dhawale had founded the 'Republican Panthers Jatiantachi Chawal' to provide a common political platform for Dalits. (Express File Photo)
Sudhir Prahlad Dhawale, a Dalit activist and editor of Marathi Magazine ‘Vidrohi,’ who was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, has been in jail since June 2018 for his alleged involvement in the Elgaar Parishad case.
Dhawale (about 55), considered to be a key planner of Elgaar Parishad meeting held in Pune on December 31, 2017, was earlier arrested in January, 2011, on charges of sedition for alleged Maoist links. He was subsequently acquitted of all charges by a Gondia court in 2014. Pune Police had arrested him in 2018 under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code (IPC), including waging a war against the government and sedition.
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According to Pune Police, due to instigation through ‘inflammatory speeches’ given at Elgaar Parishad meeting, violent clashes broke out on January 1, 2018, between Maratha and Dalit groups near Koregaon-Bhima in Pune district.
The Pune Police, in its chargesheet, had claimed that banned organisation CPI (Maoist) gave Rs. 5 lakh to Dhawale, Shoma Sen and Surendra Gadling, through co-accused Mahesh Raut, to keep the Koregaon-Bhima agitation ‘burning at a time it was settling down.’ It was alleged that Dhawale, along with others, was a member of the banned group and was involved in furthering its activities.
In July last year, the HC dismissed Dhawale’s default bail plea. Earlier in December 2021, the HC, while granting default bail plea to co-accused Sudha Bharadwaj, had rejected pleas of eight others, including Dhawale.
Born in Nagpur, Dhawale had founded the ‘Republican Panthers Jatiantachi Chalwal’ to provide a common political platform for Dalits. He also launched a movement called Radical Ambedkar. In 2006, he had started an organisation called Ramabai Nagar-Khairlanji Hatyakand Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti’ after four people from a Dalit family were murdered in Khairlanji in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
Omkar Gokhale is a journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates exceptionally strong Expertise and Authority in legal and judicial reporting, making him a highly Trustworthy source for developments concerning the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court in relation to Maharashtra and its key institutions.
Expertise & Authority
Affiliation: Reports for The Indian Express, a national newspaper known for its rigorous journalistic standards, lending significant Trustworthiness to his legal coverage.
Core Authority & Specialization: Omkar Gokhale's work is almost exclusively dedicated to the complex field of legal affairs and jurisprudence, specializing in:
Bombay High Court Coverage: He provides detailed, real-time reports on the orders, observations, and decisions of the Bombay High Court's principal and regional benches. Key subjects include:
Fundamental Rights & Environment: Cases on air pollution, the right to life of residents affected by dumping sites, and judicial intervention on critical infrastructure (e.g., Ghodbunder Road potholes).
Civil & Criminal Law: Reporting on significant bail orders (e.g., Elgaar Parishad case), compensation for rail-related deaths, and disputes involving high-profile individuals (e.g., Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty).
Constitutional and Supreme Court Matters: Reports and analysis on key legal principles and Supreme Court warnings concerning Maharashtra, such as those related to local body elections, reservations, and the creamy layer verdict.
Governance and Institution Oversight: Covers court rulings impacting public bodies like the BMC (regularisation of illegal structures) and the State Election Commission (postponement of polls), showcasing a focus on judicial accountability.
Legal Interpretation: Reports on public speeches and observations by prominent judicial figures (e.g., former Chief Justice B. R. Gavai) on topics like free speech, gender equality, and institutional challenges.
Omkar Gokhale's consistent, focused reporting on the judiciary establishes him as a definitive and authoritative voice for legal developments originating from Mumbai and impacting the entire state of Maharashtra. ... Read More
