Polish court extends detention of rationalist Sanal Edamaruku till May 27
A Polish court on Tuesday agreed to extend the detention of Indian rationalist and author Sanal Edamaruku, who was detained there on March 28 purportedly based on an Interpol Red Notice earlier issued against him, till May 27.
According to Mr. Edamaruku's family, although India has not yet submitted a formal extradition application, it has requested a prolongation of detention to the full 60-day limit allowed under the Indo-Polish treaty. The Polish court has agreed and extended Mr. Edamaruku's detention until May 27.
Under the treaty, Polish authorities are obligated to hold him unless India confirms it will not pursue extradition or fails to lodge it until May 27, they said, adding that 'Indian authorities continue to claim that Mr. Edamaruku was absconding, likely to have committed the offence, and would flee if released --despite his permanent residence in Finland and a long record of open public life and international travel.'
'Misuse of system'
'This case is no longer just about a financial dispute. It highlights the ongoing misuse of legal systems to target dissent...we have also filed a Special Leave petition at the Supreme Court,' the family said.
Mr. Edamaruku, who faced blasphemy charges and 'credible death threats' in India, moved to Finland in 2012. 'He has continued his work against superstition, speaking at international conferences, writing, and remaining active on social media. He has travelled freely across Europe and the U.S., attending conferences and delivering lectures,' according to the family. He was detained at Modlin airport in Poland on March 28 'under an Interpol Red Notice initiated by the Indian authorities.'
The family said the Red Notice stemmed from a financial dispute case originally filed in India -- 'a civil matter that is already under active appeal in Finland.' The alleged financial dispute started in 2015-2016. The complainant claimed that Mr. Edamaruku promised to help her move to Finland for higher studies and work, and that he failed to deliver.
'This exact same case has already been fully tried in Finland -- where Mr. Edamaruku is a permanent resident and where the transactions in question took place. In February 2025, after a detailed trial, the Helsinki District Court dismissed the charge of aggravated fraud against him. Instead, he was convicted of aggravated embezzlement for failing to return the funds when the plan to move to Finland fell through,' said the family.
To pay compensation
They said the Helsinki District Court handed him a six-month conditional sentence -- meaning no jail time -- and ordered him to pay compensation, adding that he was preparing to appeal the verdict when he was detained in Poland.
'We believe the timing of the arrest was deliberate -- to block his right to appeal in Finland and to stop him from holding his annual rationalist conference, a major event that brings together rationalist and human rights communities from around the world,' they said, alleging that the matter was 'a clear and calculated extension of the same vendetta that began with the blasphemy charges' against him in 2012, which 'forced him into exile for exposing a so-called 'miracle' with science.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
India looking for other magnet sources after China's curbs on rare earth metals
India is in talks with China on ensuring the supply of permanent magnets derived from rare earth minerals but is also working on 'alternate sources' for the critical components, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said. He said the government is in constant touch with Indian industry to speed up the development of local sources. China, which controls 90% of the supply of rare earth magnets, has imposed curbs on supplies. These magnets are essential inputs in the manufacturing of cars, electric vehicles and renewable energy equipment, among others. 'There is a concern... our embassy is in dialogue with them (China)... commerce and industry ministry is also working,' Goyal said, adding that the government had already begun work on developing alternate sources. 'Hope Good Sense Prevails' Goyal was speaking to reporters after his interaction with local industry in Bern. "In a way, it's a wake-up call for all those who have become over-reliant on certain geographies. It's a wake-up call for the whole world that you need trusted partners in your supply chain,' the minister said. Auto industry and other industry bodies have represented the matter to the government seeking an early resolution of the problem. China had in April mandated special export licences for seven rare earth elements and related magnets. It is seeking an undertaking that permanent magnets it supplies will not be re-exported to the US, nor will they find applications in the defence industry. ET reported on June 4 that nine auto component manufacturers have received endorsement from the Chinese embassy in India for importing critical rare earth magnets, but supply has not resumed as the neighbouring country's commerce ministry has not given its nod. "Obviously, there are issues around the stopping of permanent magnets from China to India, which will affect our auto sector, particularly, and several white goods and other sectors. Some companies have put in their applications, and we hope that good sense prevails and they get their approvals for permanent magnets," the minister said. The Centre is also looking to Indian Rare Earths Ltd to speed up the development of domestic resources, Goyal said. Asked if the government will consider a production-linked incentive scheme for these magnets, Goyal said he had discussed the matter with the auto industry and was confident of resolving the matter. "They are in dialogue with our innovators, startups and they say they will take care of any funding requirement or pricing correction that may need to encourage faster rollout and growth of this sector," Goyal said. On alternative sources, the minister said these could also be some technologies that India is developing. "The government, the industry and startups and innovators are all working as a team and we are confident that there may be a problem in the short run but we will emerge winners in the mid to long runs," he said. (The reporter is in Bern at the invitation of the ministry of commerce & industry)
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Manesar land scam: Court to rule on charges against 3 more accused
Panchkula: In a significant development in the Manesar land scam, a special CBI court has opted to first decide on framing charges against three more people before consolidating the chargesheet against former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and 30 others. Special CBI Judge Rajiv Goyal made the ruling last Friday, following the Punjab and Haryana high court's vacation of a stay on proceedings. The three individuals facing potential charges are former IAS officer D R Dhingra and private persons Dhare Singh and Kulwant Singh Lamba. The court has scheduled July 10 for resumed arguments regarding the chargesheet against this trio. The extensive case implicates former CM Hooda, his three ex-principal secretaries – Murari Lal Tayal (also facing another trial), S S Dhillon, and Chhattar Singh – as well as various companies and their office bearers involved in the controversial land transactions. The Supreme Court has stayed proceedings against another accused bureaucrat, Rajiv Arora, who was named in the initial chargesheet. The scam revolves around 914 acres of land in Manesar, Gurugram district, originally slated for acquisition to develop an Industrial Model Township (IMT). Following the Aug 2004 notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, a rush to acquire land at low prices ensued. Builders and land mafia reportedly capitalised on residents' panic, acquiring plots at "throwaway rates". Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo In 2007, the industrial department released the land from the acquisition process. Allegations of political patronage in the builder-official-land mafia nexus led aggrieved parties to court. Ultimately, the Supreme Court directed the CBI to probe the matter, leading to the chargesheet naming former CM Hooda. MSID:: 121731795 413 |
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
New frontlines of terrorism and the Pakistan equation
For decades, the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir has served as the visible boundary between war and peace, infiltration and prevention, terror and counter-terror. It has also been the default focal point of Indian military strategy and Pakistan's proxy hybrid war, primarily kinetic. However, in 2025, the paradigm is shifting quite drastically. The LoC, while still active, and the kinetic domain in general, may no longer be the main front in the battle for Kashmir's stability. Instead, the new war fronts are dispersed, amorphous, and dangerously embedded within the digital, psychological, and ideological landscape. This is the classic grey zone strategy that has been long expected to manifest. At the heart of this shift lies a question with major implications for India's internal security calculus: Does Pakistan still hold remote control over Kashmir's terrorism? Recent indicators suggest that Pakistan's ability to infiltrate terrorists across the LoC physically has been severely degraded. Better fencing, aggressive patrolling, a robust counter-infiltration posture, and enhanced surveillance capabilities—both aerial and electronic—have reduced large-scale infiltration to a trickle. The classical model of launching fidayeen squads, guiding them across the Pir Panjal, and sustaining them with local overground workers is not easily feasible in most sectors. Yet, this does not mean that the threat has receded. Instead, the theatre has simply moved.
