IAPL is no Maoist front, says activist Ferreira's lawyer
Pune, Oct 15: Indian Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL) to which activist Arun Ferreira belonged had no connection with the Naxals, his lawyer told the court here Monday.
Ferreira was arrested by Pune police for alleged Maoist links.
Arguing on Ferreira's bail application before additional sessions judge K D Vadane here, his lawyer Sudeep Pasbola also said that mere possession of incriminating documents can not prove membership of a banned organisation.
"There is no material to indicate that Ferreira is member of Communist Party of India (Maoist)," he said.
"This lawyers' organisation (IAPL) fights legal battle for the downtrodden and marginalised and this legal battle is within the four corners of the Constitution," Pasbola argued, and dismissed police's claim that it was a front organisation of the CPI (Maoists).
Ferreira is IAPL's treasurer, he said.
On police's claim of seizing "incriminating material" (documents) from the possession of the accused, Pasbola said such material of banned organisations is easily available and merely possessing it does not make one a member of the organisation.
Ferreira was earlier prosecuted in 11 cases but was acquitted in all, the lawyer said, adding that there was no evidence to suggest that he supported or participated in violence.
Left-wing activists Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Telugu poet Varavara Rao are currently under house arrest in the case after their arrest in August. Another accused, Gautam Navlakha, was freed by the Delhi high court.
They were arrested during police's probe into alleged Maoist connection to Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017 which allegedly triggered violence at Bhima Koregaon in the district the next day.
Bail applications of Gonsalves and Bharadwaj are likely to be heard Tuesday.
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Himanta resigns as Assam CM, paving way for formation of new govt
Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday resigned along with his cabinet colleagues, paving the way for formation of a new government led by the BJP, officials said.
The BJP-led NDA bagged 102 seats in the 126-member assembly. The assembly elections were held in a single phase on April 9, and counting of votes took place on May 4.
"Following the formal notification of the results of #AssamElections2026 and to enable the formation of the new government, Dr @himantabiswa tendered his resignation as Chief Minister along with that of the council of Ministers to Hon'ble Governor Shri @Laxmanacharya54 today at Lok Bhawan," the Chief Minister's Office said in a post on X.
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The Governor has accepted the resignation, and requested Sarma to continue as the caretaker CM till the new government assumes office, it said.
Later, speaking to reporters outside the Lok Bhawan, Sarma said the oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place after May 11.
“As it was a historic win, we have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grace the occasion," he said.
The new Assam chief minister will be selected at a meeting of the BJP legislature party in presence of central observers, Sarma said.
