India News | SFI Holds Protest at Jantar Mantar Demanding Release of Those Held in Bhima Koregaon Case

New Delhi, Jul 6 (PTI) Members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) on Tuesday staged a protest at Jantar Mantar here to demand the release of those arrested in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case, following the death of human rights activist Stan Swamy.

The members of the Left-affiliated SFI alleged that they were detained by police and lathicharged.

Around 25 SFI members, including SFI Delhi state president Sumit Kataria, Secretary Pritish Menon and JNUSU president and SFI Delhi State Committee Member Aishe Ghosh and All India Joint Secretary Dipsita Dhar, were detained from Jantar Mantar here, the SFI claimed.

However, a senior police officer said that 22 people were detained, who were later released.

All the members were detained at Mandir Marg police station and released at 7:15 pm. Four activists were released after a notice was served to them under section 41A of the CrPC, the SFI claimed.

The notice served to Kataria, Menon, Ghosh and Dhar asks them to appear before the police, which then plans to file an FIR against them, it said.

"We are witnessing a brutal state repression and arrest of activists under false charges. The BJP government is using the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as a tool to curb the voices of dissent and putting activists, academicians and lawyers behind the bars. We demand for the release of all political prisoners, including Bhima Koregaon arrestee," the SFI said.

Jesuit priest Stan Swamy, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, died at a Mumbai hospital on Monday afternoon.

The tribal rights activist was admitted to the private hospital from the Taloja prison on May 29 following high court orders on a petition filed by him, seeking medical attention as he was suffering from COVID-19 and Parkinson's disease.

Swamy was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in October 2020 and was in jail since then.PTI SLB NIT

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