Condemn the illegal arrest and detention of Sunita Pottam, PUCL Chhattisgarh
Related Issue: Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression, Human Rights Defenders
PUCL Chhattisgarh condemns the illegal arrest & detention of Human Rights Defender Suneeta Pottam and the continuous harassment of Moolwasi Bachao Manch members and other activists in Bastar.
On June 3, 25-year-old Adivasi activist and Human Rights Defender Suneeta Pottam, a resident of village Korcholi in Bijapur district was dragged on the floor pulling her out of her temporary residence in Raipur around 8.30 this morning by a team of Bijapur district police led by DSP Garima Dadar.
Suneeta Pottam had gone to Raipur to complete her class 10 by Open School and was staying with colleagues of a womens collective to prepare for her entrance test when she was picked up from her place of residence. In the most shocking way, the other two colleagues were pushed inside the room and bolted from outside before the DSP took Pottam in an unregistered vehicle without number plates threatening the landlady not to open the door. In less than half-an hour, the DSP returned to flash the warrant against Pottam, refusing to give a copy to her colleagues and PUCL member, Shreya Khemani who reached the place after hearing the news. The alleged arrest was made in complete violation of the guidelies laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the DK Basu case. No memo of arrest was prepared and attested by family, friends, neighbours, despite strong requests.
This is not the first time the police has illegally tried to harass Suneeta. As a human rights defender, Suneeta Pottam has been raising her voice against atrocities, especially against women, committed by the police in Bijapur. In 2016, Suneeta Pottam had petitioned before Chhattisgarh High Court (Suneeta Pottam & Others Vs State of Chhattisgarh and Others WP(PIL)82/2016) against the extra judicial killings of six persons in 2016 in the villages of Kadenar, Palnar, Korcholi and Andri of Bijapur district.
Suneeta Pottam is an active member of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Chhattisgarh and a member of national women’s organization – WSS (Women against Sexual Violence and State Repression since 2015. At the local level she has been leading several ongoing protests against widening of roads piercing through several villages, cutting hundreds of fruit bearing trees without holding any Gram Sabha, in complete violation of the PESA Act. Pottam has been in the forefront holding the government accountable to the Adivasis of Bastar in bringing real development to Bastar such as schools, hospitals and forest-based livelihood options rather than opening mining lease to private companies to extract the mineral resources under their dense forests.
On several occasions, Suneeta Pottam along with other young villagers who formed a Adivasi Youth Forum called Moolvasi Bachao Manch, have met not only with district and state administration, but also with the then Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to apprise them of the condition of the village. Instead of listening to the voice of the young Adivasis, the police has been threatening them with cases against them. This was brought to the notice of NHRC (Diary No. 1050/IN/2021) by WSS.
As recent as 9th February this year, when Pottam had come to Bijapur district hospital help some of the villagers who had met with an accident in Gangalur area of Bijapur, she was chased on the main road by policemen who tried to forcefully take her with them on the motorcycle. Resisting this, she ran into a shop where many journalists who know her sought to produce an arrest warrant before arresting her. Finding her immense popularity amongst journalists and support from local people and politicians, the police withdrew and left. This was brought to the notice of IG Bastar, P Sunderraj on 17 February by Human Rights Activist and Advocate Bela Bhatia as well as Adivasi Activist Soni Sori and other activists. Suneeta Pottam along with the other young adivasis addressed a press conference in Jagdalpur sharing her ordeal.
The picking up of Suneeta Pottam is part of a series of rampant illegal arrests of adivasi activists and Human Rights Defenders in the last months in Chhattisgarh, including for example the recent arrest of adivasi leader Sarju Tekam. The manner in which she was taken away by the police unlawfully is reflective of a pattern in harassment and arrest of Human Rights Defenders and activists such as Suneeta Pottam, where the police is using fabricated cases and backdated FIRs to arrest all those who speak up against violations of human rights. We saw a very similar approach in the case of Hidme Markam, where the police picked up Markam on the basis of backdated FIRs with fabricated cases in the midst of a women’s day celebration in 2021. Markam was later aquitted in all cases but had to spend 2 years in jail under false charges. We now see the same tactics being used to rampantly attack and harass human rights activists in the area, especially the young and vocal leaders of moolvasi bachao manch. Given this pattern of unlawful and unjust arrests of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) we demand an immediate inquiry into all such arrests and an end to the continuous harassment by the police of HRDs. We fear for her safety and life and urge the Bijapur police to immediately produce her before the magistrate without delay. While in their custody from Raipur to Bijapur which should take them about nine hours she should be allowed to be in touch with her family and friends at regular intervals to ensure her safety.
PUCL condemns the victimisation and arrest of Suneeta Pottam and demands her immediate release. PUCL also demands an independent investigation into the false implication and false cases foisted on her.
Degree Prasad Chouhan, Rinchin, Shreya