Several women\\\’s groups, individuals and eminent personalities demand immediate and drastic action against the officials and the BJP led state government of Chhattisgarh responsible for the custodial torture of Soni Sori.
A letter has been send to the Raman Singh, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh in this regard.
Here is the copy of that letter which exposes one of the worst tortures by any police in history o independent India.
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Shri Raman Singh
Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh
Room No. 303, Mantralaya, D.K.S. Bhavan,
Raipur (C.G.) 492001
Fax # 0771 2221306, 2331001
Date: 28 November 2011
SUBJECT: JUSTICE NEEDS TO BE SERVED TO SONI SORI: DEMAND FOR ACTION AGAINST OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR CUSTODIAL TORTURE AND DECEPTION IN COURT.
Sir,
We have already written to you in protest against the custodial torture of Soni Sori of Dantewara district (letter attached). Further, at a meeting with your Principal Secretary, N. Baijendra Kumar in Delhi on 14th October 2011, he assured us that she was \\\’safe in jail and that her wounds were not serious. He also said that the Health Secretary had confirmed the fact\\\’ and so there was no need for concern about her safety. However, as all the facts reveal, this was far from the truth.
The video that emerged showing Soni writhing in pain in the Dantewada District Hospital on 11 October was indeed, was evidence of custodial torture. On 15th October, the District Hospital, Dantewada medical report confirmed that she had contusion in her head and spine and that black marks were visible on her finger tips – further confirming this fact.
In her recent letter to the Supreme Court, Soni Sori clearly states that she had been pulled out of her cell at the Jagdalpur Police Station at \\\’midnight of 8th/9th October on the orders of SP Ankit Garg, stripped and given electric shocks\\\’. She woke up the next morning with acute pain all over her description, head and spine. That she could not even get down from the vehicle and walk to the court and be presented in front of the Magistrate is further proof of the extreme pain that she was undergoing because of the injuries inflicted upon her the previous night.
At this point itself we had ample reason to fear that Soni had also been subjected to sexual abuse and torture. This apprehension has also been proven true with the revelations of the medical report of the NRS Medical College Hospital in Kolkata which has stated clearly that two stones had been inserted in her vagina and one in her rectum, and that she has annular tears in her spine. Such conduct by police officials is absolutely outrageous and cannot go unpunished!
It is shocking that she has been subjected to all this after she was taken from the Saket Court in Delhi on assurances that there would be no physical or mental torture, and that all investigations would be conducted as per the law.
In the strongest words, we demand that the state government of Chattisgarh:
• Immediately initiate punitive action against all concerned officials who authorised her to be flown to Raipur from Delhi and created the circumstances where she could be tortured in police custody before being produced in the Dantewada District Court.
• Initiate punitive action against SP Ankit Garg and all other police officials involved in her custodial torture, as well as medical officials who falsified her medical records claiming she was fine.
• Stop contesting Soni\\\’s demand to face trial outside Chhattisgarh because clearly she is absolutely unsafe in the state!
If the Government of Chattisgarh fails to take proper action to safeguard the legal rights and dignity of an undertrial, it is clear that it has no moral authority to continue in office.
Signed by the following organisations/networks and individuals:-
ORGANISATIONS/NETWORKS
Vani, Sadhna, Kalpana, Saheli Women\\\’s Resource Centre, Delhi
Women against Sexual Violence and State Repression
MP Mahila Manch
Delhi Forum, Delhi
Madhavi Krishnawamy, Jan Sangharsh Morcha, MP
Programme for Social Action, Delhi
Delhi Solidarity Group
Rituparna Borah, Nirantar, Delhi
Kavita Krishnan, AIPWA
Shabnam Hashmi, Anhad
Indira Pancholi, Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti, Rajasthan
Humane Trust, Koraput
Siddarth Vatysayan, AAG India, Delhi
Rakhi Sehgal, NTUI, Delhi
Ammu Abraham, Forum Against Oppression of Women, Mumbai
Meena Seshu, SANGRAM/VAMP, Sangli
Madhu Mehra, Partners in Law for Development
Mary E John, Centre for Women\\\’s Development Studies, Delhi
Action India, Delhi
Saumya Uma, Women\\\’s Research and Action Group, Mumbai
Nandita Shah, Akshara, Mumbai
Rachana Atri, India Social Institute, Delhi
Pyoli Swatija, Vidyarthi Yuvjan Sabha
Chayanika, Lesbian and Bisexuals in Action
Nidhi Agarwal, Him Dhara, Palampur, HP
Manisha Sethi, Jamia Teachers\\\’ Solidarity Association
Anurag Modi, Shramik Adivasi Sangathan
Shamim Modi, Samajwadi Jan Parishad
Sylvie Palit, Narmada Bachao Andolan
Anuradha Talwar, Shramajivi Mahila Samity (West Bengal)
Dipika Nath, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Rights Programme, Human Rights Watch
Vimochana, Begaluru
INDIVIDUALS
Prof. Uma Chakravarti
Prof. Nandini Sundar
Vasant Kannabiran, Hyderabad
Mamta Dash
Maya Rao
Geetha Nambisan
Anomita Goswami
Sahana Basavapatna
Kamayani Bali Mahibal
Kiran Shaheen
Purnima
Shalini Gera, student
Harshita Yalamarty, Student, JNU
Bela Bhatia
Rajshri Dasgupta, Kolkata
Leena Ganesh
Nalini Visvanathan
Sharamya Nayak, Koraput
Pushpa Achanta, Bangalore
Rashmi Singh
Anandi S, Chennai
Dunu Roy
Ponni Arasu
Srila Roy
Bishakha Dutta
Anna George
Pramada Menon
Dilip Simeon
Veena Gowda
Ranjana Padhi
Kalpana Kannabiran
Laxmi Murthy
Uma Chandru
Sandhya Srinivasan
Veena Shatrugna
Shobha SV
Mukul Mangalik, Associate Professor, Ramjas College, University of Delhi
Shahana Bhattacharya, Associate Professor, Kirorimal College, University of Delhi
Teena Gill
Subhalakshmi Nandi
Shilpa Phadke
Anusha Hariharan
Neelima Aryan
Shipra Nigam
Ann Ninan, Journalist, Delhi
Prof Sadhna Saxena, Delhi University
Vijay Dhasama
Kriti Budhiraja
Lakshmi Premkumar, Researcher, Delhi
Aryakrishnan Ramakrishnan, Thiruvananthapuram
Sudha Bharadwaj
Purwa Bharadwaj, Delhi
Kalyani Menon-Sen, Gurgaon
Rajesh Srinivas
Janaki Abraham