Political experts believe that the increasing pressure from different quarters in India and abroad forced the state government not to oppose Ray’s bail petition. Hundreds have joined the online signature campaign. A Delhi-based rights body has started a signature campaign for Debolina, saying she is a “victim of state revenge”.
Ray was among 61 protesters picked up by police during a demonstration against the Nonadanga eviction on April 8. A nine-year-old girl also spent hours in police lock-up before all but seven of them were freed. Ray, Debolina, Sidhhartha Gupta, Baban Chatterjee, Abhigyan Sarkar, Samik Chakraborty and Debjani Ghosh were arrested. All seven were accused of assaulting police officers during an agitation on April 4. Debolina was charged in a two-year-old case for alleged Maoist links. They were remanded in jail custody till April 26.
Ray, who teaches at the prestigious Indian Institute of Science and Research, is an anti-eviction crusader. His colleagues say he was attending a faculty meeting at IISER on April 4 and that he stayed in the guest house that night. They submitted documents in favour of their claim and allege that Ray was framed. The state counsel had earlier claimed that the arrested leaders were indulging in Maoist activities at Nonadanga and had stockpiled arms and ammunition in the area.