I endorse the statement. Kiran Shaheen Media Action group On Mon, Mar 12, 2012 at 11:51 AM, Niloufer Bhagwat <[email protected]>wrote:
> ** > I endorse your statement on the arrest of Advocate Rekha Parganiha.Could > you contact advocates and Bar Associations to assist you in her release , > as possessing such literature is a Constitutional right and the arrest is > illegal .If you need assistance at the Supreme Court kindly contact the > Indian Association of Lawyers, at 17 Lawyers Chambers . Telephone Numbers: > 011 23382271 AND 011 2307 0237 > > Niloufer Bhagwat > Advocate , Mumbai > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* sumati panikkar <[email protected]> > *To:* YAM <[email protected]> ; > [email protected] > *Sent:* Friday, March 09, 2012 3:10 PM > *Subject:* [ANN:4996] Chhattisgarh - Statement on the arrest of Advocate > Rekha Parganiha > > http://sanhati.com/articles/4684/ > Chhattisgarh - Statement on the arrest of Advocate Rekha > Parganiha<http://sanhati.com/articles/4684/> > > *March 8, 2012* > > by Women Against Sexual Violence and State Repression > > WSS is alarmed to hear that Rekha Parganiha, an advocate from Bhilai, has > been arrested on Sunday 4th March, for possession of “incriminating > documents,” consisting of Bertolt Brecht, Bhagat Singh, Friedrich Engels > and Karl Marx ! > > She has been produced in court on March 5th and has been remanded in > police custody for 5 days till March 10th. We are concerned that the police > custody seems to be overly long, and after Soni Sori’s experience with > Chhattisgarh police, we are worried about the safety of all women activists > taken into custody in Chhattisgarh, especially those charged with political > offences. > > The following letter has been submitted to the NHRC today and has been > assigned complaint number 27592/CR/12 > > Date: 07.03.2012 > > To, > The Honourable Justice KG Balakrishnan > Chairperson > National Human Rights Commission > Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg > New Delhi – 110 001 > > Dear Justice Balakrishnan, > > Subject: Please ensure safety of Advocate Rekha Parganiha in police > custody in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh > > We, the members of WSS, a national platform of women’s group, are alarmed > at the news of another woman activist, Advocate Rekha Parganiha, arrested > in Chhattisgarh in relation to suspected Maoist links. A newspaper > story<http://www.indianexpress.com/news/arrested-naxal-an-awardwinning-technician/920691/0>indicates > that Advocate Parganiha was picked up from her house in Bhilai on > Sunday (March 4th) and was remanded into police custody on March 5th for 5 > days, until March 10th. We are deeply concerned at the long duration of > police remand, especially in the wake of recent reports of custodial sexual > violence perpetrated by Chhattigarh police, and considering that the only > evidence that exists against the accused so far consists of writings of > Bertolt Brecht, Bhagat Singh, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. > > We would like to remind you that Chhattisgarh police has a track record of > subjecting women undertrials, especially those accused of political > offences, to brutal torture. Soni Sori, an adivasi school teacher, was > subjected to extreme sexual violence by the Chhattisgarh police while she > was in their custody in October 2011. As her letters later revealed, she > was verbally abused, stripped naked, electric shocks were applied to her > and stones, pebbles, batons were inserted into her vagina and rectum. This > was also corroborated by an independent medical examination conducted by a > Government Hospital in Kolkata under the directions of the Honourable > Supreme Court. In her letters, Soni Sori reveals that many women prisoners > in Chhattisgarh jail have been subjected to similar torture and > brutalization. > > Please recall that we had urged you to intervene in Soni Sori’s matter in > order to ensure that the perpetrators of such violence are punished, and > that Soni Sori receives the medical treatment that she so urgently needs. > However, the NHRC refused to intervene maintaining that the fact that Soni > Sori’s matter is sub-judice precludes any intervention by the Commission. > > However, in the case of Advocate Rekha Parganiha, where similar > apprehensions of torture exist, the limitations of the matter being > sub-judice do not arise. Hence, we request the NHRC to take appropriate and > immediate steps to ensure the safety of Advocate Parganiha during police > custody. We also urge you to look into the growing phenomenon of arresting > women activists in Chhattisgarh under serious criminal charges on the basis > of flimsy evidence, such as the “incriminating documents” in this case – > which consist of literature by Bertolt Brecht, Bhagat Singh, Karl Marx and > Friedrich Engels, which is not only widely available publicly, but is > included in the canons of great world philosophy and literature. Such > infringements of the constitutionally guaranteed rights to life and > liberty, and of freedom of thought and expression are unacceptable. > > Yours Sincerely, > > Women against Sexual Violence and State Repression (WSS) > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "ACTIVISM NEWS NETWORK" group. > To post to this group, send email to > [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/activism-news-network?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "humanrights movement" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > . > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en. > -- Kiran Shaheen -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
