Chhattisgarh female human rights lawyers "forced" to leave their home, office: Police harassment alleged

Jagdalpur Legal Aid Group activists

By A Representative

Two female human rights lawyers in Chhattisgarh belonging to the Jagdalpur Legal Aid Group (JagLAG), who recently took up the cause of journalist Malini Subramaniam, a scroll.in contributor, are under threat, and are under pressure to leave their residence following "harassment and intimidation" by the police.
Bringing this to light, top human rights group Amnesty International has quoted Isha Khandelwal and Shalini Gera as saying that “they are being evicted from their home and office in Jagdalpur following police pressure on their landlord.” Amnesty added, “They have faced numerous instances of harassment which appear to be intended to prevent them from carrying on their work.”
Since 2013, the lawyers had been worked on several cases related to human rights violations allegedly committed by the police and other security forces in the state. Apart from Subramaniam, among their clients is Santosh Yadav, a freelance journalist arrested on charges of rioting, murder and membership of a banned armed group, which Amnesty has described as “false.”
In recent months, the lawyers have assisted several Adivasi women to file formal complaints in cases of rape and sexual assault allegedly committed by security forces. JagLAG provides free legal assistance to prisoners in five districts in Chhattisgarh, many of whom are members of Adivasi communities accused of being part of Maoist armed groups.
“The lawyers have carried out research, which shows that Adivasi people in the state are frequently arrested by the police on little evidence, and spend long periods in pre-trial detention in overcrowded jails before being acquitted by courts”, said Amnesty.

The flashpoint against the two came after they took up the case of Subramaniam, covering various issues related to police atrocity, sex trafficking, curbs of press freedom, etc. in Chhattisgarh. An "anti-Naxal" group is reported to be issuing issued threats and intimidations to Subramaniam's family, her domestic help as well as her landlord, since January this year.
“The Chhattisgarh government must recognize the crucial role that human rights lawyers play in upholding the rule of law, and investigate any threats they may face,” Amnesty insisted.

The incident

“On the night of February 16, police officials visited the home of the lawyers’ landlord, and took him to a local police station. The landlord returned the next morning and told the lawyers that he had ‘no choice’ but to ask them to vacate their home and office”, it said.
Amnesty quoted Gera as saying, “The landlord was asked by the police to ensure that we vacate the house within a day or two.” It added, “An official at the police station told Amnesty that the landlord had been questioned on a different matter.”
“Later that day, members of an anti-Maoist group with links to the state police held a demonstration against JagLAG, accusing them of being defenders of Maoists. The group has also held a public meeting and issued a press statement in which it accuses the lawyers of supporting ‘bloodthirsty Maoists’,” Amnesty reported.
Senior police officials in the state have informally accused JagLAG of being Maoist sympathisers. Last year, based on an anonymous complaint that the lawyers did not have the correct credentials to practice law in the region, police officials called them in for questioning.
In October 2015, the local bar association passed a resolution prohibiting JagLAG lawyers from practicing in local courts. The lawyers have challenged the resolution in court. They also say that other lawyers who work with them have been harassed and threatened by members of the bar association.

Comments

Telangana government urged to stop 'unconstitutional' relocation of Chenchu tribes

By A Representative The Nallamalla forests are witnessing a renewed surge of indigenous resistance as the Chenchu adivasis , a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), have formally launched the Chenchu Solidarity Forum (CSF) on the eve of World Earth Day to combat what they describe as unlawful and forced relocation from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve .

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks.

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

Cracks in Gujarat model? Surat’s exodus reveals precarity behind prosperity claims

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The return of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, particularly from Gujarat, was inevitable. Gujarat has long been showcased as the epitome of “infrastructure” and the business-friendly Modi model. Yet, when governments become business-friendly, they require the poor to serve them—while keeping them precarious, unable to stabilize, demand fair wages, or assert their rights. The agenda is clear: workers must remain grateful for whatever crumbs the Seth ji offers.

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights.

India 'violating international law obligations' over Israel ties: UN rapporteur

By A Representative Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has alleged that India is “violating its obligations under international law” through its continued association with Israel, including defence ties and alleged arms exports during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Why Tamil Nadu, Periyar, and the Dravidian model aren't just regional phenomena

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The election campaign in Tamil Nadu this season is strikingly different. The alliance led by the DMK is consistently referred to as the “ DMK alliance ,” not the “INDIA alliance.” This distinction is unsurprising given the state’s history: Tamil Nadu remains the only state to decisively reject “national” parties. The AIADMK’s surrender to the BJP after J. Jayalalithaa ’s death represents, in many ways, a betrayal of the politics of Tamil identity—an identity Periyar envisioned as Dravidian, not narrowly Tamil.

Chromatographies of the self: Gender, labour, and resistance in Deepti Kushwah's verse

By Ravi Ranjan* Any sensitive reader of contemporary Hindi poetry will find it impossible to overlook the eight poems by Deepti Kushwah recently published in Samalochan . This suite—comprising works such as ‘Ekākelī ābha’ (A Solitary Radiance), ‘Praśna mem camaktā huā’ (Glowing in the Question), and ‘Ek ankahī tapis’ (An Unspoken Heat)—constructs a multidimensional collage where colour transcends mere visual experience.

Search This Blog