Teltumbde is a longtime critic of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, and he was imprisoned in 2020 along with other activists and intellectuals who were critical of the Modi government.[8] His arrest was condemned by other academics and human rights organizations, and legal experts have said that the charges against him appear to be fabricated.[8][9] He was released on bail in 2022.
Teltumbde was an Executive Director at
Bharat Petroleum and managing director of Petronet India Limited before becoming an academic.[5][13] He was a professor at the
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and later became a senior professor at the Goa Institute of Management.[14][15][16] He contributes a column titled "Margin Speak" to Economic and Political Weekly,[17] and has also contributed to Outlook,[18]Tehelka,[19] and Seminar.[20][21] His 2018 book, Republic of Caste, is a collection of essays that assesses the position of
Dalits, including the relationship between caste and class.[22] Teltumbde advocates for a closer relationship between Marxism and the
Ambedkarite movements in fighting for Dalit liberation, as well as reform of the
reservation system.[22]
Imprisonment and international reactions
On 29 August 2018, the police raided Teltumbde's home, accusing him of having a connection to the
2018 Bhima Koregaon violence and an alleged
Maoist plot to assassinate
Prime MinisterNarendra Modi.[1][23] Teltumbde denied the allegations and was granted temporary protection from arrest, but he was nevertheless arrested by the
Pune police on 3 February 2019 and released later that day.[2][24] After his release, Teltumbde accused the government of harassment and of attempting to criminalize dissent.[25] In the course of the investigation, various others have been critical of the handling of the case, including Supreme Court Justice
D. Y. Chandrachud who questioned the biased nature of the investigation by the Maharashtra Police, when hearing a plea on the same.[26]
The Washington Post reported that Teltumbde was arrested as part of "a government crackdown on lawyers and activists" who are critics of Modi.[5] Legal experts have said the charges against Teltumbde appear fabricated.[9][27] More than 600 scholars and academics issued a joint statement in support of Teltumbde, condemning the government's actions as a "witch-hunt" and demanding an immediate halt to the actions against Teltumbde.[28][29] In addition, over 150 organizations and intellectuals—including
Noam Chomsky and
Cornel West—signed a letter to
United Nations secretary general
António Guterres, describing the charges as "fabricated" and calling for the UN to intervene.[24]
Teltumbde's mobile phone was hacked by Israeli spyware
Pegasus through
WhatsApp along with over a dozen other activists, lawyers, and journalists in India.[3][30] Teltumbde had noticed his phone had been "acting up" and was later contacted by
Citizen Lab in October 2019.[31]
In November 2022, Teltumbde was released from Taloja Central Prison after the
Bombay High Court granted him bail and the order was upheld by the Supreme Court.[38][39][40] The court found no prima facie evidence that Teltumbde had been involved in a terrorist act under the UAPA.[41]
^
abcdeMasih, Niha (21 February 2019).
"He is a prominent anti-Modi intellectual. The Indian government wants him behind bars". The Washington Post.
Archived from the original on 9 March 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019. Teltumbde has been swept up in a government crackdown on lawyers and activists. The activists targeted in the investigation are advocates for India's most disadvantaged communities, including indigenous tribal people and Dalits, once called 'untouchables.' They also are vocal critics of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
^Jodhka, Surinder S. (4 August 2018).
"Caste in a New Mould". Indian Express.
Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
^Teltumbde, Anand (30 July 2011).
"Corruption and injustice". india-seminar.com.
Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
^Sahni, Ajai (3 September 2018).
"Urban Maoist Fakery". South Asian Intelligence Review. 17 (10).
Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2020.