INDIA: Tribals tortured by police in Sonebhadra, Uttar Pradesh 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Social Development Foundation, Delhi, India about the torture of some tribals in Palhari Village, Nauganwa Block, Sonebhadra, eastern Uttar Pradesh.

On 1 November 2005, an unidentified man came to Palhari looking for labourers to help him build a dam. The news soon spread and many villagers showed interest in order to earn some money. As soon as the man left, about thirty policemen descended on the village without any notice and started abusing the villagers. They were tortured, beaten mercilessly and the police even behaved inappropriately with the women. Some of the villagers were also arrested by these police personnel.

Due to the stark discrimination amongst classes, the naxalite movement is gaining a considerable foothold in Sonebhadra. Under the guise of anti-naxal operations, the police have been victimising innocent villagers especially the dalits and tribals.

We thereby call for your urgent intervention. Please ask the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh to order an impartial investigation into this incident so that the perpetrators are duly punished and ensure that steps are taken such that innocent villagers are not targeted by the police under the pretext of anti-naxal operations.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
————————————————————-
DETAILED INFORMATION:

Victims:
(Villagers arrested)
1. Jagesar, son of Dwarika
2. Bhola, son of Thakur Prasad
3. Tulsi, son of Devnath
4. Sitaram, son of Dharmdas and seven others.
(Villagers beaten)
1. Jagesar
2. Bhola
3. Tulasi
4. Kunwar Prasad
5. Rajendra, son of Hira
6. Baliram
7. Jaglal Thakur Prasad
8. Shiv Prasad
9. Shanti
10. Prabhawati
11. Durgawati
12. Budhani
13. Sukhani
Complainants:
1. Parvati
2. Durgawati
3. Prabhawati
4. Sukhani
5. Shiv Prasad
Place of incident: Palhari Village, Sonebhadra District, Nauganwa Block, East Uttar Pradesh
Alleged perpetrators: Police personnel
Date and Time of Incident: 1 November 2005, 4:00 pm

Case Details:

On 1 November 2005 around 4 p.m, an unidentified man arrived on a motorcycle at Palhari saying that he needed some villagers as labourers to help him construct a dam. In the face of the drought and adverse poverty that Sonebhadra is reeling under, this aroused a lot of interest amongst the unemployed villagers. After asking the villagers to cooperate with him, the man left.

Soon after that, about 30 policemen came to the village and started attacking the villagers. They were beaten, hung on trees and tortured and the police also behaved inappropriately with the women. Bhola, Tulasi and Jagesar, tribals and involved in community work were arrested and beaten mercilessly. According to the villagers, these three men were committed to bridging a gap between the tribals and the police. The police also raided their houses and destroyed their belongings. It is alleged that during this raid they recovered about five thousand rupees and three boxes of medicines.

Jagesar’s wife Shanti was ill-treated by the police but fortunately, the villagers were able to rescue her. Sukhani, a 70 year old woman was also beaten up mercilessly. Sukhani’s 12-year-old grandson, a student of class six, who was caught, was hung upside down after his legs were tied. Unable to even walk properly, he was then taken to the hospital.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Like in most places in India, Uttar Pradesh suffers from the class caste divide with a stark discrimination between the upper and lower castes. Due to this severe inequality and extreme poverty the latter suffers, the naxalite movement, which is a movement of landless peasants against the upper class landlords, is gaining ground in Sonebhadra. The naxalites do have supporters in the villagers but also target others and often ask them for food and shelter. It is a great dilemma for these villagers for denying them help would mean abuse and victimisation by these armed groups while cooperating with them would mean incurring the wrath of the police and torture at their hands.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the Director General of Police and others to order an impartial inquiry into this incident and see that the perpetrators are duly punished.

–

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER