Six activists leading a local protest against mining projects in Maoist insurgency-hit Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra have earned the wrath of the police after a case of gang rape they raised turned out to be false.
Activist Sainu Gota, his wife Sheela Gota, Ramdas Jarate, his wife Jayashree Jarate and Mangesh Holi have been charged under Section 364 (A) of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly abducting two tribal girls belonging to Chhattisgarh and forcibly taking them to a lawyer in Nagpur. Former PMRDF (Prime Minister Rural Development Fellow) of Gadchiroli, Mahesh Raut, has also been charged under Section 120 (B) of the IPC for “conspiring” with the activists.
They had accused the C-60 (special anti-Maoist unit of the Maharashtra police) commandos of “sexually assaulting” the two girls in the third week of January. They also launched a campaign against the police and filed two habeas corpus writ petitions in the Bombay High Court through human rights lawyer Nihalsing Rathod.
However, in a dramatic development, both the girls were found at Mr. Rathod’s office in Nagpur on January 28, after which the police arrested Mr. Gota, his wife Sheela and Mangesh Holi. Mr. Jarate and his wife were also arrested from Gadchiroli after the girls denied in the High Court that they were raped.
‘Rearrest illegal’
Five of the six activists have been arrested and are in jail. Mr. Mahesh Raut has applied for an anticipatory bail and is untraceable. “The five activists were granted bail by the court, but the police arrested them again. Sainu Gota was rearrested illegally right after his bail,” said Mr. Rathod.
Mr. Rathod also raised questions about legality, as the case filed in the Sitaburdi police station of Nagpur was shifted to Gadchiroli.
Gadchiroli district Superintendent of Police Abhinav Deshmukh did not respond to calls from The Hindu .
All the activists have been vocal against the proposed mining projects in Gadchiroli. Mr. Raut and Mr. Jarate had recently organised a public meeting in the Surjagad area of Etapalli division to oppose the mining in Surjagad hills by Lloyd Metals.
