1. Orissa-Update: Human rights defender Mr Abhaya Sahoo
released on bail
Mr Abhaya Sahoo
Mr Abhaya Sahoo,the leader of anti-POSCO People's Movement (PPSS)for land rights and the right to
livelihood, was released on bail on 14 March 2012.
PPSS has been defending land rights and the right to livelihood through a peaceful struggle against the
building of a steel plant by POSCO, a South Korean company, for the last seven years.
On 14 March 2012, Abhya Sahoo was granted bail by the High Court of Odisha and was released from
Choudwar jail at around 5pm. He has been falsely charged with giving protection to an accused in a
dowry murder in Dhinkia Panchayat. After his release, Abhya Sahoo thanked all friends and well
wishers who have stood for his cause of fighting against POSCO.
While Front Line Defenders welcomes the release on bail of the human rights defender its calls on the
authorities in India to immediately and unconditionally drop the charges against him as it is believed
that they are solely related to his human rights work.
Front Line Defenders released an urgent appeal on his arrest dated 9 December 2011. For more
information, please see: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/16851
You can find additional information on the situation for human rights Defenders in India. HERE
Tamil Nadu
1. Kudankulam protests: I am not afraid of arrest, says Udhayakumar
NDTV - 11 hours ago
Kudankulam: The Tamil Nadu police are now allowing television channels to beam live pictures
from Idithakarai, the Ground Zero of the protests against the ...
1. Koodankulam activists arrested, villagers protest | UCAN India
www.ucanindia.in/news/koodankulam-activists-arrested.../daily
2 days ago – Koodankulam activists arrested, villagers protest. Udayakumar also demanded immediate
release of the five arrested. Posted on March 19, ...
1. Koodankulam Update: Arrests of Peaceful Protesters Under the ...
indian2006.wordpress.com/.../koodankulam-update-arrests-of-peacef...
1 day ago – Koodankulam Update March 20, 2012 7:30 AM. Police have arrested 18 men more at
Koodankulam last night but nothing happened here at ...
Sivasubramanian, one of the key persons of the People's ...
1. And Koodankulam is Being Hunted Down ! — DiaNuke.org
www.dianuke.org/and-koodankulam-is-being-hunted-down/
1 day ago – Police have arrested 18 men more at Koodankulam last night but nothing happened here at
Idinthakarai at night. Some 5000 women, men and ….
......................................................................................................................................................................

2. Automotive News - TN police arrest 18 dismissed Hyundai workers ...
smehorizon.sulekha.com/tn-police-arrest-18-dismissed-hyundai-work...
Automotive News - Eighteen dismissed employees of Hyundai Motor India Ltd's (HMIL) plant near
Chennai were arrested today after they tried to stage a protest ...
The Hindu : States / Tamil Nadu : NHRC seeks report from DGP
www.thehindu.com › News › States › Tamil Nadu
24 Feb 2012 – 4) In retaliation TN Police open fire and kill them 5) NHRC notices TN Police for
killing anti social elements who open fired the police ...
Police firing kills 5 Dalits in Tamil Nadu - Hindustan Times
www.hindustantimes.com/.../Police...kills-5.../Article1-744395.aspx
11 Sep 2011 – Tension gripped caste-sensitive Southern districts of Sivaganganga, Ramanathapuram
and Madurai after police firing on a group of ...
Live.....Police firing in TN brutally kills five! in Paramakudi (Police ...
► 1:15► 1:15
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ9qpCfKdLQ12 Sep 2011 - 1 min - Uploaded by INDDISC
Tension gripped the caste-sensitive Ramnathapuram district of Tamil Nadu following police firing on
violent ...
Delhi
1. News for Kazmi Arrests
2. Who is Syed Mohammad Ahmed Kazmi?
Firstpost - 4 days ago
1. KAZMI'S ARREST ATTACK ON FREEDOM OF PRESS | Hard
News
www.hardnewsmedia.com/2012/03/4659
Veteran journalist being framed in Israeli diplomat attack case, says DUJ. Sadiq Naqvi Delhi.
Two days after the arrest of senior journalist Mohammad Abbas ...
2. Journalists condemn Kazmi's arrest - Hindustan Times
www.hindustantimes.com/India...Kazmi...arrest/Article1-823084.asp...
9 Mar 2012 – The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Delhi Union of
Journalists (DUJ) on Friday condemned the arrest of freelance journalist ...

3. Chattisgarh
The Inconvenient Truth Of Soni Sori - Tehelka - India's Independent ...
tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ne151011coverstory.asp
15 Oct 2011 – But the story of Soni Sori, 35, and her nephew Linga Kodopi, 25, is one of the most
urgent ones of our times. It captures the brutal chaos of ...
1. Cops chargesheet Essar official, Soni Sori in 'Naxal payoff case ...
www.indianexpress.com/news/cops-chargesheet...soni....../921687/
8 Mar 2012 – Cops chargesheet Essar official, Soni Sori in 'Naxal payoff case' - The Special
investigation team (SIT) probing the alleged Essar-Naxal payoff ...
1. The Hindu : News / States : Soni Sori case: HRW wants PM to order ...
www.thehindu.com › News › States
7 Mar 2012 – HRW Executive Director of Women's Rights Division Liesl Gerntholtz, in a letter to Dr.
Singh, said the Soni Sori case raised serious questions ...
1. Women's rights activists denied access to Soni Sori - The Hindu
www.thehindu.com › News › National
14 Jan 2012 – The team was in town to meet Soni Sori, a 36-year-old schoolteacher now imprisoned in
the Raipur Central Jail on charges of serving as a ...
Free Soni Sori - International Women's Day 2012 - YouTube
► 2:32► 2:32 www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6hRfDoVdXg7 Mar 2012 - 3 min - Uploaded by
AmnestyInternational
Soni Sori is in prison in India because her beliefs have made her a target of the
Indian Authorities. On ...
Reading Soni Sori's Letters from Prison: An International Women's ...
► 7:09► 7:09 www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWnCrB1qwE47 Mar 2012 - 7 min - Uploaded by
peaceandjustice2010
In a global show of solidarity marking the International Women's Day, concerned
citizens from around the ...
 More videos for soni sori »
1. Soni Sori to SC: SP gave electric shocks, undressed and tortured me ...
www.binayaksen.net/.../soni-sori-to-sc-sp-gave-electric-shocks-undre...
1. Soni Sori: A portrait of an unlikely "woman Maoist" - The Times of
India
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Soni-Sori-A.../10323298.cms

4. 12 Oct 2011 – They sat watching cartoons on TV a day after their mother was arrested in faraway Delhi
on charges of acting as a conduit/courier for Maoists.
Gujarat
India This Evening: Gujarat Arrests Cop Who Pointed Finger at Modi ...
blogs.wsj.com/.../india-this-evening-gujarat-arrests-cop-who-pointed-...
30 Sep 2011 – Here's a roundup of news from Indian newspapers, news wires and web sites on Friday,
September 30, 2011. The Wall Street Journal has not ...
| Video | Gujarat ATS arrests terror suspects | India Videos | - India ...
indiatoday.intoday.in/.../Gujarat...arrests.../88228.html14 Mar 2010 - 28 sec
Gujarat ATS arrests terror suspects. ... The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS)
has arrested three terror ...
► 0:28► 0:28
 More videos for Gujarat Arrests »
1. Gujarat police arrests E Editor and other staff of Divya Bhaskar
www.gujaratglobal.com/.../825-gujarat-police-arrests-e-editor-and-ot...
14 Jan 2012 – Rajkot police arrested Executive Editor of Divya Bhaskar, Kana Batwa and two others
for publishing photograph of Rajkot police Commissioner ...
Maharashtra
The Hindu : Front Page : One killed as Jaitapur protest turns violent
www.hindu.com/2011/04/19/stories/2011041958620100.htm
19 Apr 2011 – Mumbai: One person was killed in police firing and several were injured as the protest
against the nuclear power plant in Jaitapur turned violent ...
1. Karat extends support to Jaitapur protests
zeenews.india.com/.../karat-extends-support-to-jaitapur-protests_719...
12 Jul 2011 – CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat and CPI leader D Raja Tuesday assured all
support to the local people in Jaitapur, who are protesting ...
Jharkhand

5. Money motive behind Sister Valsa murder
www.sunday-guardian.com/.../money-motive-behind-sister-valsa-mu...
oney, and not Maoists, may have been the reason why Sister Valsa John, 52, was hacked to death on 15
November at Pachwara village in Jharkhand's Pakur ...
1. NCW probe team in Ranchi to probe Sr Valsa's murder
www.dailypioneer.com/.../23663-ncw-probe-team-in-ranchi-to-prob...
27 Nov 2011 – It should be noted that Valsa was killed in Pakur allegedly by the suspected CPI (M)
cadres as per the preliminary investigation of the case by ...
1. Valsa 18th November
www.slideshare.net/prabirkc/valsa-18th-november - United States
19 Nov 2011 – IBNLive.com More news for valsa pakur » 2. Former anti-displacement leader Sr. Valsa
killedwww.asianetindia.com › Whats hot20 hours ago ...
The Murder of Niyamat Ansari « Kafila
kafila.org/2011/03/09/the-murder-of-niyamat-ansari/
9 Mar 2011 – In the video above, Niyamat Ansari, NREGA/RTI activist in Jharkhand, speaks of the
threats to his life. Ansari was murdered on 2 March 2011.
1. Why was Niyamat Ansari Killed? : The Politics of NREGA and the ...
newsclick.in/.../why-was-niyamat-ansari-killed-politics-nrega-and-ma...
The gruesome murder of NREGA activist Niyamat Ansari has shocked the progressive civil society and
political groups in the country. According to reports (one, ...
1. Statement: Justice for Niyamat Ansari | Action for Employment ...
nrega.net.in/content/statement-justice-niyamat-ansari
JUSTICE FOR NIYAMAT ANSARI. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the recent murder of
NREGA activist Niyamat Ansari in Kope Gram Panchayat ...
Uttar Pradesh
1. Human Rights Defenders in UP, India
www.nl-aid.org/.../human-rights/voice-of-human-rights-defenders-in...
The National Human Rights Commission, India 2010 has listed 25 cases related to the human
rights defenders, out of which 12 cases are from Uttar Pradesh.
Case No. 1
In the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, the alleged murderer of Lalla Singh, father of Sanjay
Singh of Paramarth Samaj Sewi Sansthan in Jalaun, PS Madhogarh, village Mirzapur is still
absconding. Before that he gave threat to Sanjay Singh and his brother Anil Singh.[i]
Sanjay Singh father Lalla was murdered on September 12, 2009. Lalla Singh was a committed social
worker and registered medical practitioner. He rendered decades of social service in his village and the
surrounding areas. Paramarth, headed by Sanjay Singh, an icon for social activism in Bundelkhand, has

6. rendered decades of social service in Jalaun in particular and Bundelkhand in general. Police and
government officials have refused to seriously consider a case of murder of a social worker in a Jaulan
village by the son of the corrupt village head.
Case No. 2
Mangal Singh son of Ghasite resident of Vishal Nagar, district Mahoba of Uttar Pradesh. Mangal
Singh, a farmer is fighting against the illegal mining & heavy blasting activities near town Kabrai
Mahoba district, which has effected the residents of that areas. He has filed PIL in Honb’ High Court,
Allahabad CIVIL MISC. WRIT PETITION NO 63396 OF 2009 that turned the stone crusher
association against him. On which Mangal Singh sought security from Honb’ High Court. The Honb’
Court ordered but till now he did not get any security.
Case No.3
Hari Lal MNREGA Fighter and leader of Voice of People (VOP) of District Kaushambi has been killed
in broad day light at 12.00 Noon in his village Lahna, Block Manjhanpur district Kaushambi on
independence day, 15 August 2010 at the instance of the corrupt Gram Pradhan Tirath Lal by the
contract killers. Thousands of members of the VOP and other organisation gathered in the village and
made militant protest, burnt the houses of the killer. A heavy contingent of armed police lead by
District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police, Circle Officers and SHOs of various police stations
entered into the village and let loose the reign of terror over the villagers, women and children. Two
FIRs has been lodged against the leaders and members of the VOP including the common villagers.
Case No. 4
Shri Govind Saran, Sanchetna NGO, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh the activists of his organization who are
raising the issue of 4th grade malnutrition among children of village Village Kaanti, Tahsil Bara,
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh were being misbehaved by C.D.O. Allahabad, who is hushing up the matter
and one of the activist namely Manoj Kumar was illegally detained at the instance of the CDO.
Case No. 5
Ms. Manju Pathak, Secretary, Jagriti Mahila Sewa Sansthan, Allahabad that on 28.9.2010 about 06.30
pm she was abused, assaulted and beaten up by Meraj Khan, Constable under Sabji Mandi Police
Chowki, Khuldabad, Allahabad, UP when she took up the grievances of a victim lady against him.
Case No. 6
Shri Ram Niwas Yadav, Etah, Uttar Pradesh is being harassed by accused policemen because he has
filed a case against them of human rights violation. The policemen also got him implicated in a false
case.
Case No. 7
Shri Rajiv Kumar Sharma, General Secretary of Bhartiya Manav Adhikar Sanrakshan Sangh & Crime
Reporter of NAI News, Ghazibad, UP in his complaint dated 12.10.2010 alleged that he has reported
the acts of black marketing by the accused to the authorities, due to which, the accused has given false
complaint against him to the police just to harass him.
Case No. 8
Rehana Adeeb, founder of ASTITWA (Action Social team for Women) Social Organization in Purkoji
Street, District Muzaffarnager of Uttar Pradesh. Her organization starts having friendly relation with
Muslims and dalits women and share their high and lows faces in their life and experience how they
individually struggled in their life and run their families.
Case No. 9
Shjri Nand Lal Shukla, a Human Rights Defender, has apprehended that the Additional Superintendent

7. of Police, Sant Ravidas Nagar, may implicate him in some false cases or kill him in a fake encounter as
he showed his reluctance to withdraw his statement made against some police officials of Police
Station Gopiganj in his case before the Commission (case No. 224/24/73/09-10). He has requested
immediate intervention of the Commission and to render justice.
Case
Shri Narendra Pratap Singh, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh vide complaint dated 5/4/2010 alleged that he is a
social worker fighting for the rights of vulnerable persons. He espoused the cause of a lady belonging
to Scheduled Caste who had a property dispute with the opponents. At the instance of the opponents,
the Circle Officer of the area misbehaved, abused, manhandled and threatened the complainant for
taking up the case of the poor lady. The Commission transmitted the complaint to the concerned
authority to investigate and report to the Commission within four weeks.
Case
Shri Vinod Prakash Pindara, Member, Amnesty International, Etah, Uttar Pradesh vide complaint dated
8/2/2010 alleged that he being a Human Rights Defender takes up cases of human rights violations and
therefore is being threatened by the perpetrators. Inaction on the part of the police authorities of Etah is
alleged.
Case
Mr. Mahesanand, Secretary, Gramya Swaraj Samiti organized protest march Dudhi tehsil to Robersganj
district head quarter of Sonbhadra by five thousand tribal and cover 100 km starting from March 10th –
15th on the resolution taken by villager’s sundari on 15th January, 2011 after the re-inauguration of
Kanhar Dam. He faced threat from the local contractor, police, state and political parties.
Case
Guria received threats for their work against human trafficking. Guria is a human rights organisation
working against child prostitution and human trafficking in Varanasi city of Uttar Pradesh state. This is
not the first occasion where the staff members of Guria have received threats and intimidation. On each
occasion, they have complained to the local authorities, including the local police. They threatened the
staff members that they must inform Mr. Ajeet Singh, the President of Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan,
that he must not enter the Shivdaspur red-light area should he wish to live.
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAU-004-2011
[i] http://www.pvchr.net/
[ii] http://sapf.blogspot.com/
[iii] http://www.mynews.in/
[iv] http://www.groundreportindia.com/
AUTHOR: Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi
Search Results
2. UNHCR | Refworld | India's human rights defenders need
better ...
www.unhcr.org/.../country,,UNPRESS,,IND,,4d4115871a,0.html
Country, India. Publication Date, 21 January 2011. Cite as, UN News Service, India's human
rights defenders need better protection, says UN expert, 21 January ...
3. Human Rights Defenders Alert India
www.peopleswatch.org/hrda/

8. 7 Mar 2012 – Greetings from Human Rights Defenders Alert – India (HRDA)! HRDA is a
Forum of Human Rights Defenders for Human Rights Defenders with ...
4. INDIA: Human Rights Defenders
www.pucl.org/reports/National/defenders.htm
INDIA: Human Rights Defenders. Human rights defenders working on a range of issues
including caste discrimination, domestic violence and trade union rights ...
5. Human Rights Defenders:Fighting An Uphill Battle
www.countercurrents.org/hr-hrf2910003.htm
Human Rights Defenders: Fighting An Uphill Battle. By Human Rights Features. The recent
condemnable attack on the Chief Minister of the southern Indian ...
6. BHASKAR: UN fact-finding on human rights defenders in
India ...
brpbhaskar.blogspot.com/.../un-fact-finding-on-human-rig...
by Brp Bhaskar
27 Jan 2011 – The Special Rapporteur's statement brings to light the severe assault on
human rights defenders, by both state and private actors, in India today ...
2. [PDF]
1. Human rights defenders - Indian Express
www.indianexpress.com/news/human-rights-defenders/738040/
16 Jan 2011 – Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10 every year with reference to the
Human Rights Declaration which was passed by the UN on ...
2. Understanding Indian human rights movements through the lives
of ...
kafila.org/.../understanding-indian-human-rights-movements-throug...
21 Feb 2012 – Guest post by JINEE LOKANEETA. Watching Advocate alongside Democracy
Dialogues: a Tribute to Balagopal, both by Deepa Dhanraj, made …
West Bengal
The Hindu : News / National : Kishenji killed in encounter
www.thehindu.com › News › National
24 Nov 2011 – Communist Party of India (Maoist) Polit Bureau member Koteshwara Rao alias
Kishenji, who has been spearheading Maoist operations in ...
1. The Hindu : News / National : Mamata clarifies on Kishenji killing
www.thehindu.com › News › National
9 Mar 2012 – Even as speculation that Communist Party of India (Maoist) Polit Bureau member
Koteswara Rao, alias Kishenji, was killed in a fake encounter ...

9. Andhra/ Nagpur
The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Azad killed in fake encounter ...
www.hindu.com/2010/08/23/stories/2010082361640600.htm
23 Aug 2010 – Releasing a report here after visiting the encounter site in the last two days, Mr.
Bhushan told media persons that the killing of Azad was a ...
CBI probe claims Maoist leader Azad killed in genuine encounter ...
www.indianexpress.com/news/...azad-killed...encounter.../924611/
5 days ago – CBI probe claims Maoist leader Azad killed in genuine encounter: SC - The Supreme
Court on Friday said a CBI probe has established that the ...