Citizens for Justice and Peace
SAFOORA ZARGAR
Safoora Zargar is an activist who was incarcerated for participating in anti-CAA protests, this, in spite of being 3 months pregnant at that time. Deeply misogynistic rumours and posts were spread on social media by right-wing trolls in a bid to defame her. In August 2022, Safoora alleged that the Jamia Millia Islamia University was cancelling her admission by not extending the time allotted to her for submitting her thesis. Alleging discrimination, she also claimed that the university administration had used derogatory words to turn her away and called her a ‘dangai’ (rioter). This comes after the UGC May 2022 guideline permitting universities and higher education institutions to give an extension of up to six months beyond 30 June for M.Phil or Ph.D. thesis submissions on a case-by-case basis after reviewing a student’s work.
Charges
UAPA
Asif Tanha
Asif Iqbal Tanha is a 24-year-old student from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, who is studying for a BA in Persian Studies at Jamia Milia Islamia. He joined the Students Islamic Organization of India (SIO) – the student’s wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, at the age of 15. Tanha has also been instrumental in organizing protests and mobilising students against the anti-Muslim measures of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Tanha fought against injustice in the campus and actively participated in protests for the restoration of the Students Union and the right to association, which was suspended in 2006. He was also involved in the protest movement against the CAA-NRC right from the beginning and was an important decision-maker in the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC).
Charges
Sections 15 (committing acts of terror), 17 (funding acts of terror) and 18 (conspiring to commit/fund acts of terror) of the UAPA, and 124A (Sedition), 302 (Murder), and 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) of the IPC.
SIDDIQUE KAPPAN
He is a Kerala based journalist who currently works with the news portal Azhimukham as a regular contributor. He also serves as the Secretary of Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ). He was picked up by the police when he was on his way to cover the Hathras case and is accused of being associated with an Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and having a history of organising demonstrations against CAA.
Charges
Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of a class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, section 17 (raising funds for terrorist act) of the UAPA, section under Information Technology Act for carrying “suspicious” literature
GAUTAM NAVLAKHA
Gautam Navlakha is a senior journalist, civil rights activist and a writer who has been a fierce critic of the Indian Army’s atrocities in the Kashmir Valley. He is a member of People's Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR), Delhi and also the editorial consultant of the Economic and Political Weekly (EPW).
Charges
Sections 153A (promote enmity between different groups on the basis of religion, caste, class), 505(1B) (publishes something to cause alarm in the minds of the public), Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13 (Punishment for unlawful activities), 16 ( Punishment for terrorist act), 17 (Punishment for raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (Punishment for conspiracy), 18B (Punishment for recruiting of any person or persons for terrorist act), 20 (Punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation), 38 (Offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) and 40 (Offence of raising fund for a terrorist organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
DR. G.N. SAIBABA
A differently abled former lecturer of English at Ram Lal Anand College, Delhi University, Dr. Saibaba has been a prominent voice against State excesses. He was particularly vocal about Operation Green Hunt, a drive against alleged Naxalites, where underprivileged sections fell prey to brutal assault by State forces.
Charges
Sections 13 (unlawful activities), 18 (conspiracy), 20 (member of a terrorist gang) and 38-39 (support to a terrorist organisation) of the UAPA. Section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.
GULSHIFA FATIMA
A student activist, Gulshifa Fatima was jailed for allegedly inciting violence during the February 2020 Delhi violence. She remains behind bars at Tihar jail. After she alleged harassment by jail authorities, a Delhi court directed jail authorities to change the staff if necessary.
Charges
Sections 147 (rioting), 186 (obstructing a public servant from doing his duty), 188 (disobedience to order), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant), 283 (danger or obstruction in a public way), 109 (abetment) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, UAPA
Dr. ANAND TELTUMBDE
The 71-year-old is an Indian scholar, writer, activist working in the field of civil rights, especially Dalit rights. He is a management professor at the Goa Institute of Management (GIM). Teltumbde was an executive at Bharat Petroleum and managing director of Petronet India Limited before becoming an academic. He was also a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur before he joined as a senior professor at the Goa Institute of Management (GIM). He has been critical of the Modi government, and now sees himself arrested on allegedly trumped up charges of having “Maoist links”.
Charges
Sections 153A (promote enmity between different groups on the basis of religion, caste, class), 505(1B) (publishes something to cause alarm in the minds of the public), Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13 (Punishment for unlawful activities), 16 ( Punishment for terrorist act), 17 (Punishment for raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (Punishment for conspiracy), 18B (Punishment for recruiting of any person or persons for terrorist act), 20 (Punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation), 38 (Offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) and 40 (Offence of raising fund for a terrorist organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
UMAR KHALID
Student leader and co-founder of United Against Hate, Umar Khalid is a courageous and outspoken defender of constitutional values. Constantly the target of the BJP government, Right-Wing trolls, rabid TV anchors and survivor of an assassination attempt, nothing has managed to subdue his voice.
Charges
Sections 186 (Obstruction of public servant from discharging duty), 153A (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot), 427 (Causing damage by mischief), 120B (Criminal conspiracy), 302 (Murder), 353 (Assaulting public servant), 435 (Mischief by fire or explosive substance), 124A (Sedition), 307 (Attempt to Murder), 395 (Dacoity) and Sections 13, 16, 17 and 18 of UAPA
SURENDRA GADLING
Advocate Surendra Gadling is a human rights lawyer, best known for defending Prof. GN Saibaba and activist Arun Fereira. He is the president of Indian Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL) and has been at the forefront of the quest for justice for Dalits, tribals and other marginalised people. Hailing from a Dalit community himself, Adv. Gadling played a crucial role in the pursuit of justice in the aftermath of Khairlanji massacres, Ramabai Nagar agitations, cases pertaining to fake encounters etc.
Charges
Sec. 153A (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. 505(1)(B) (public mischief), Sec. 121 (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India), Sec. 121A IPC (conspiracy to commit offences, waging war against the state), Sec. 124A (sedition) of the IPC, and several sections under UAPA.