[Reader-list] appeal for justice to prashant rahi

[Asit Das]

Appeal For Justice To Prashant Rahi <http://sanhati.com/articles/9031/>

*April 5, 2014*

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1. Background of the case <http://sanhati.com/articles/9031/#1>
2. Urgent Appeal for Justice <http://sanhati.com/articles/9031/#2>
3. Sample Letter to be sent to authorities<http://sanhati.com/articles/9031/#3>
4. Prashant Rahi's letter from Nagpur Jail<http://sanhati.com/articles/9031/#4>

Release Prashant Rahi
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My Fellow Brothers and Sisters,
"A society which remains silent even when grave injustice is being done to
those who fought for the justice of others, there justice is dying. That
society is infected with the decease of cowardice and negligence. People in
it are not free beings but savage beasts."

Here is such a tale of injustice that any individual will be forced to
question the meaning of justice, right and humanity itself in democracy
like India.

Born in a middle class family, Prashant Rahi was a bright student who
completed his B.Tech (1982) and M.Tech(1991) from IIT-BHU.In his +10 years
period here in BHU he was highly active in uplifting peoples of villages
around BHU and enlightening them of their rights. Instead of blindly
following the rat-race to take lucrative jobs in big companies & living a
luxurious life,he pursued the noble but difficult path of social activism
journalist and went to Uttarakhand.
In Uttarakhand Prashant Rahi worked as a social & political journalist
whose articles were printed regularly in many prominent newspapers like
Statesman etc. He was a prominent figure in the movement demanding separate
statehood for Uttarakhand. Prashant was the leading person in organising
the movement for demanding rights and lands for tribals & villagers
displaced by Tehri Dam. Thus, he remained highly active in social welfare
serving and fighting for the rights of deprived. Prashant's selfless &
fearless social activism drew the ire of powerful people whose interests
were hampered by his outright activism. Starting from 17th Dec. 2007 a
chain of events happened to him which sends chills even to bravest souls.

On 17thDec, when Prashant Rahi was walking on a prominent street in
Dehradun, he was kidnapped by 4-5 men in civil dress in broad daylight. He
was blindfolded & taken to a forest near Haridwar where he was beaten
mercilessly with sticks. It was only when on 18th December when his
blindfold was removed for the first time he released his kidnappers are
none other than police.He was taken to different places and
interrogated,tortured by 3rd degree in most brutal & devious ways by
unidentified policemen. In his words "They brutally hit me all over my
body, including my private parts. The officials also threatened to pump
kerosene up my anus and tie me to ice slabs."

On 20th December, 2007 Prashant Rahi was bought to Nakmatta police station
in Udham Singh Nagar some 350 km away from Dehradun. So brutal was his
torture that police had to wait for two days for him to recover and on
22ndDecember an arrest was filed under IPC sections 121(waging war or
abetting the waging of war against state), 121A(conspiring against
state),153B(threatening the perseverations of nations sovereignty and
unity), 120B(criminal conspiracy), UAPA section, 20(member of terrorist
organisation).

Interestingly on 20th December B.C. Khunduri, the then CM of Uttarakhand
demanded 208 crores from centre in a conference with PM, Manmohan Singh to
combat Naxal treat in Uttarakhand and mere two days after that on 22th Dec,
Uttarakhand police claimed to arrest the Naxal Zone commander Prashant
Rahi, in Hanspurkhatta near Nakmatta police station that too alone without
firearms,ammunition or explosives.

It was only after dedicated efforts of many civil & social rights
organisations which include one lead by his daughter, Shikha Rahi, that he
was released on bail on 21th August, 2011 after languishing in jail for 3
years and 8 months.

The virtue of courage and sense of justice is so strongly embedded in
Prashant Rahi that even by being tormented for almost 4 years in jail and
bearing all kinds of horrible tortures he came out with stronger and bolder
resolve to fight injustice .Witnessing himself how the state and police
incarcerate innocent tribal youth, social activists and journalists on
false charge using black laws for selfish gains and sabotage their dignity
and rights by brutal torture. He started fighting for justice by providing
legal assistance to these victims of the tyranny of the system; he helped
many of them to get bail, acquittal and speedy trails for them.

Owing to such a case Prashant Rahi went to Raipur to get some legal
documents but little did he know what was in wait for him. On 1st Sept,
2013 Prashant Rahi was abducted by Maharashtra state police in most
innocuous circumstances in gross of violation of Criminal Procedure Code.
He was brought to Aheri police station, Gadchirolli and booked under
120B,IPC(criminal conspiracy) to commit some unlawful actsec 13 UAPA),a
member of terrorist organisation (sec 20 UAPA),eliciting support for the
CPI (Moist)(sec39 UAPA). He was brutally tortured both physically &
mentally on 1stsept and produced before the magistrate on 2ndsept where the
case was filed. Now Prashant Rahi, still languishes in solitary confinement
in Nagpur central jail. An interesting fact to be noted here is that
Prashant Rahi was to having final hearing of his 2007 case on 2nd Sept. and
chances of his acquittal was very strong but he could not attend his
hearing because as you know by now that he was abducted just a day before
it.

Whenever we hear a Naxalite Zone all that comes into our mind is an
excluded underdeveloped forested region with Naxals moving around with guns
& terrorising the people. But by reference of Prashant Rahi account reality
is different. In fact usual judiciary & administration powers are given to
police who in turn move around towns & villages like an occupation army,
enhanced 150% salaries incentive, out of turn promotion, allowances &
overriding powers to lord over the common masses. Infact Naxal area seems
like a golden goose for police officials to earn more, and enjoy excessive
powers with impunity.

Police and the government are for the security and service of the people.
When the people from these sacred institutions bewitched by their greed and
blinded by their excessive powers starts to exploit the common masses,
fringe upon the liberty of innocent individuals and target those who tries
to bring justice to these victimized masses then that country is leading to
its self destruction. Therefore as a responsible citizen of India it is our
duty to voice our opposition to injustice, oppression and corruption in any
form in any part of our country.

My fellow countrymen, it is not only the question of Prashant Rahi, a
social activist but also the guiding principles of liberty, equality,
justice and fraternity on which foundation of our Democratic India was
laid. We are resolved to get our demands accepted and these demands are,
1) Immediate release of Prashant Rahi on bail.
2) Drop the false charge fabricated on him.
3) Repeat the UAPA or at least its 2008 and 2013 amendments.
4) Speedy trials and independent investigation for people charged under
black laws.
5) Implement forthwith the provision of the international & political
rights, covenants on civil on prisoner's right and on Detention centres.

Monish Babbar
Nikhil Jain
Sandeep Pandey
- See more at: http://sanhati.com/articles/9031/#sthash.IKBwiMSt.dpuf