[Exclusive] JAGLAG appeals to police officials, NHRC against detention of Soni Sori’s family [Read Letter]

Persecution of activists in Chhattisgarh at the hands of the Bastar police continues. This time, it is the family members of tribal activist and AAP politician Soni Sori who have borne the brunt of arbitrary police action..The Jagdalpur Legal Aid Group (JAGLAG), recently forced to evict the Bastar district, has written a letter to higher-ups in the state’s police, as well as the National Human Rights Commission, bringing to notice the harassment of Sori’s sister and brother-in-law..The letter, written by JAGLAG advocates Shalini Gera and Isha Khandelwal, brings to light the illegal activities committed by certain police officials under the guise of conducting an investigation into the attack on their client last month..A Special Investigative Team (SIT) was set up to look into the incident wherein Sori was attacked with a corrosive chemical by three unidentified men. What beggars belief is that this very SIT is trying to pin the attack on Sori’s brother-in-law, Ajay Markam..The letter states,.“He was taken in for questioning on March 1st, 2016, and extensively interrogated by ASP Sukma, Mr. Santosh Singh, in the presence of other SIT officials at PS Geedam, Dantewada…During this questioning, he was repeatedly told by the interrogating team that the police would arrest him for orchestrating the attack on Ms. Sori….Again, yesterday, on 10.03.2016, Mr. Markam, was picked up from his house in Geedam…He has not been heard from since, and no information has been forthcoming to his family as to the reasons for his prolonged detention. Since this detention is well beyond the 24 hours limit, it is clearly illegal and violative of Mr. Markam’s fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 22(2) of the Constitution, and Section 57 of the CrPC.”.The letter also mentions that the other members of Sori’s family were abused and threatened with violence when they made an appeal to the region’s IG, SRP Kalluri..“He specifically mentioned that he will ensure that Mr. Markam will be not be released from police custody, and the rest of Ms. Sori’s family will also be made to suffer for her indiscretions in questioning Mr. Kalluri. He specifically threatened Mr. Mundra Ram Sori that his daughter, our client, Ms. Soni will be killed and that his grandson, Mr Lingaram Kodopi will also be jailed.”.To make matters worse, the police had also taken Sori’s sister, Dhani Markam, from her hostel on March 10, without giving any information to the family or to the hostel authorities..The letter concludes with an appeal from JAGLAG to the police officials and the NHRC to intervene in the matter and put an end to the harassment of their client’s family members..“It is clear that through such intense persecution of all those associated with our client, the police wish to silence her and pressure her into withdrawing the serious charges of atrocities that she has leveled against them – if that happens, it will indeed be a very severe blow to the democratic framework of our nation.”.Update: Soni’s sister, Dhani Markam, has recently been released, and has been told that she will be picked up again for more questioning. She is badly shaken up, and was crying over the phone..Ajay Markam has finally been released after 30 hours of illegal detention. Ajay and his friends were kept in detention in and around Jagdalpur, and a few of them were beaten up. They are all out now. They were allegedly being asked by the SIT to confess to the chemical attack on Soni Sori..Read the letter below.