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CHIEF MINISTER OF GOA: Suspend Jail Authorities for Custodial Torture of Ravindra Velip
Caurem A.
started this petition to
CHIEF MINISTER OF GOA
On 23rd March 2016 Ravindra Velip, Panch and activist of Caurem village was incarcerated inside Sada sub-jail in a case under FIR No21/16. He was in jail with four other activists, Sameer Gaonkar, Suraj Gaonkar, Lav Velip and Pravas Velip. The five of them were in Cell No 10 on the first floor.
That morning, when the cell doors are opened Ravindra Velip went to the toilet. Before he could reach the toilet he was suddenly attacked by four men; they blind folded him and gagged him and then lifted him and carried him down the corridor towards the steps. He was lifted up and thrown crashing down on the cement floor with such violence that he sustained serious injuries, including multiple fractures in the left forearm and severe pain in the neck and back.
From the place where he was being beaten the Warden’s station was very near but he failed to respond to the loud screams. Ravindra managed to release the gag and started screaming for help. The men kicked him and beat him with boots and fists and fled as the other prisoners rushed and rescued Ravindra. It was only after he screamed that the attackers fled and his fellow cell mates came and helped him back to the cell.
Despite his screams no one from the jail authorities came to find out what had happened; they did not make any enquiries or take Ravindra Velip to a hospital or fetch a doctor. He sat in his cell in severe pain and trauma but the jail warden did not bother to make any enquiry throughout the day.
The Reason for the Murderous Assault
Our Village has been fighting against the mining mafia in Goa for several years. The immediate issue was the illegal transportation of ore from mines in our village panchayat. Many of these mines have been implicated in over-extraction of ore or violating the lease boundaries. But the Goa government has till date not investigated this illegal mining, neither have they recovered the stolen ore or prosecuted the perpetrators of the crime. The government has also not bothered to record the amount of ore currently stacked at the mining leases despite numerous petitions from the villagers. In fact, the ore continues to be in the possession of the very same companies, even though we have repeatedly asked the government to take control of it, only to be ignored.
No Action by the State Government
On 25th March 2016 Ravindra Velip, wrote to the Police Inspector, Mormugao Police Station with copies to the Director General of Police and the Chief Secretary giving the details of the murderous attack on him inside the Sada Jail. He asked that a criminal case be registered. The Police have still not registered an FIR against the attackers of Ravindra nor have they made any attempts to nab the perpetrators of the brutal attack.
No action has been taken against the officials in-charge of the safety of the prisoners. Instead, The Goa Government created a Panel consisting of Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Sada Sub- Jail which suggested that the attack never took place in the Jail. The report of the Panel has not been made public.
Caurem Adivasi Mukti Sangram appeals to people across India for support for an impartial just and fair inquiry against the perpetrator of the attack on Ravindra Velip. We demand that:
1) State Repression of Adivasi must stop immediately and we should be allowed to live with dignity. We should be allowed to reclaim economic activities in our lands and illegal ore transportation should be stopped immediately.
2) Sabaji Shetye, Superintendent of Sub- Jail Sada and Bhanudas Pednekar, Assistant Superintendent of Sub- Jail Sada suspended immediately.
3) An independent enquiry be ordered into why the police failed to register a FIR in violation of the provisions of the Criminal procedure Code and to investigate into the murderous assault while in Judicial Custody
4) Ravindra Velip be given adequate compensation by the prison authorities for failure to protect him while he was in custody.
That morning, when the cell doors are opened Ravindra Velip went to the toilet. Before he could reach the toilet he was suddenly attacked by four men; they blind folded him and gagged him and then lifted him and carried him down the corridor towards the steps. He was lifted up and thrown crashing down on the cement floor with such violence that he sustained serious injuries, including multiple fractures in the left forearm and severe pain in the neck and back.
From the place where he was being beaten the Warden’s station was very near but he failed to respond to the loud screams. Ravindra managed to release the gag and started screaming for help. The men kicked him and beat him with boots and fists and fled as the other prisoners rushed and rescued Ravindra. It was only after he screamed that the attackers fled and his fellow cell mates came and helped him back to the cell.
Despite his screams no one from the jail authorities came to find out what had happened; they did not make any enquiries or take Ravindra Velip to a hospital or fetch a doctor. He sat in his cell in severe pain and trauma but the jail warden did not bother to make any enquiry throughout the day.
The Reason for the Murderous Assault
Our Village has been fighting against the mining mafia in Goa for several years. The immediate issue was the illegal transportation of ore from mines in our village panchayat. Many of these mines have been implicated in over-extraction of ore or violating the lease boundaries. But the Goa government has till date not investigated this illegal mining, neither have they recovered the stolen ore or prosecuted the perpetrators of the crime. The government has also not bothered to record the amount of ore currently stacked at the mining leases despite numerous petitions from the villagers. In fact, the ore continues to be in the possession of the very same companies, even though we have repeatedly asked the government to take control of it, only to be ignored.
No Action by the State Government
On 25th March 2016 Ravindra Velip, wrote to the Police Inspector, Mormugao Police Station with copies to the Director General of Police and the Chief Secretary giving the details of the murderous attack on him inside the Sada Jail. He asked that a criminal case be registered. The Police have still not registered an FIR against the attackers of Ravindra nor have they made any attempts to nab the perpetrators of the brutal attack.
No action has been taken against the officials in-charge of the safety of the prisoners. Instead, The Goa Government created a Panel consisting of Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Sada Sub- Jail which suggested that the attack never took place in the Jail. The report of the Panel has not been made public.
Caurem Adivasi Mukti Sangram appeals to people across India for support for an impartial just and fair inquiry against the perpetrator of the attack on Ravindra Velip. We demand that:
1) State Repression of Adivasi must stop immediately and we should be allowed to live with dignity. We should be allowed to reclaim economic activities in our lands and illegal ore transportation should be stopped immediately.
2) Sabaji Shetye, Superintendent of Sub- Jail Sada and Bhanudas Pednekar, Assistant Superintendent of Sub- Jail Sada suspended immediately.
3) An independent enquiry be ordered into why the police failed to register a FIR in violation of the provisions of the Criminal procedure Code and to investigate into the murderous assault while in Judicial Custody
4) Ravindra Velip be given adequate compensation by the prison authorities for failure to protect him while he was in custody.
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