The Bhima Koregaon prisoners at Taloja Central Jail have initiated a hunger strike in protest against Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner. For several months, these detainees have repeatedly been denied transportation to court on scheduled hearing dates, with authorities citing weak excuses related to the unavailability of security personnel.
On October 9, 2024, the prisoners were once again not presented in court for their hearing. Advocate Surendra Gadling, representing his own case, was forced to argue via video conferencing from jail. After hearing his arguments, the special NIA court (No. 25) in Mumbai ordered the Taloja Central Jail to ensure that all prisoners would be brought to court for their next hearing, scheduled for October 18. Despite this clear directive, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner has continued to disregard the court’s orders.
Advocates Surendra Gadling and Sagar Gorkhe were prepared to raise this issue before the special NIA court and file a PIL in Bombay High Court. However, even on the scheduled court date, none of the seven prisoners was brought to court. Despite having sufficient police personnel available for transportation to both courts and hospitals, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner has been diverting these resources for other purposes.
This persistent refusal to present the prisoners at their hearings violates their constitutional rights. As a result, today, in Taloja Central Jail, the seven Bhima Koregaon prisoners – Advocates Surendra Gadling, Sagar Gorkhe, Sudhir Dhavale, Ramesh Gaichor, Hanny Babu, Rona Wilson, and Mahesh Raut – have started a hunger strike to protest the unconstitutional and arbitrary actions of Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner. Some of these individuals have been in jail for six years, while others have been incarcerated for four, yet the trial has yet to commence.
