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The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Writers, activists, judges write letter to CM demanding mechanism for handing custodial death cases
Coalition of People's Movements Against Police Violence, a forum comprising civil society organisations, human rights activists, writers and artists, has penned a letter to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to emphasise the need for creating a separate mechanism to handle cases of custodial torture and deaths. During a press meet here on Saturday, R. Murali of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), said, 'Though various governments have condemned the custodial tortures and deemed them illegal, there remains a deeply entrenched belief within the police force- from police constables to officials – that truth can only be extracted from the suspects through physical or psychological torture.' He added that the mindset was enforced by unchecked power, lack of accountability, and systemic failures. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 125 (8) criminalises unlawful confinement for the purpose of obtaining confessions or retrieving property, with a maximum punishment of three years. However, Mr. Murali said that the provision was inadequate to address serious crimes such as torture, custodial deaths and extrajudicial killings. As several bitter truths like operation of special forces have come out in the recent custodial death of B. Ajith Kumar in Sivaganga, the illegality and administrative lapses leading to such killings should be addressed immediately, he noted. Through the letter, the forum has demanded to enact a separate and comprehensive law to criminalise torture and custodial deaths. 'To handle complaints against police and act on it, an independent authority should be appointed. As the investigating officers are often the same persons who register FIRs, this leads to bias, suppression, or distortion of facts. The authority to be appointed should comprise retired judges, legal professionals and qualified human rights activists.' Other demands included ensuring accountability at the district level by involving senior police officials in cases of custodial violence, creation of a non-police investigative body, maintaining service records of officers involved in torture cases, among others. Further, making CCTV cameras functional at police stations mandatory, initiating criminal and departmental action against officers found guilty of torture, were the other demands. Some of the prominent personalities like writer, activist S.V. Rajadurai, Justice D. Hariparanthaman, Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam leader Kolathur Mani, V. Vasanthi Devi, former Vice-Chancellor, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Henri Tiphagne, Executive Director, People's Watch, among others have signed the letter.
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Business Standard
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Explained: Why Bihar's electoral roll revision is sparking debate Election Commission
Explained: Why Bihar's electoral roll revision is sparking debate | Election Commission | Election A new controversy has gripped Bihar over the Election Commission's recently announced Special Intensive Revision. Critics argue that the exercise has the potential to exclude lakhs of voters in the state. Opposition parties and civil society groups like PUCL and the Association for Democratic Reforms have even approached the Supreme Court to challenge the move. Watch the video to understand what Bihar's electoral roll revision entails, why the EC believes it's necessary, and what the major criticisms are.
The Wire
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Hindutva Groups' Threats, Boycott Calls Drive Muslim Families Out of Two Pune Villages
Communalism A team of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) members conducted a fact-finding exercise on July 2 in both villages, only to find a palpable climate of fear, shuttered businesses, disrupted lives, and displaced families. Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty. Mumbai: In a disturbing wave of targeted communal intimidation and socio-economic boycotts, several Muslims have been forced to flee the Paud and Pirangut villages in Mulshi taluka, Pune district. Although most of these Muslim individuals and their families have lived in these villages for over two decades, many Hindus from the villages have justified the boycott claiming that they are 'non-native Muslims'. A team of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) members conducted a fact-finding exercise on July 2 in both villages, only to find a palpable climate of fear, shuttered businesses, disrupted lives, and displaced families. The PUCL and APCR investigations followed reports of illegal posters calling for a boycott of non-native Muslims, which surfaced after an alleged desecration of an Annapurna Devi idol on May 2, in Paud, followed by a march by BJP and other right-wing groups on May 5. At these rallies, open threats were given to the Muslims of the village. The posters, along with threats and harassment, created a communal atmosphere, PUCL says, prompting them to submit a memorandum to Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill. The posters eventually were removed. But the damage it caused were much deeper. The Muslim-owned businesses like bakeries, scrap shops, salons, and chicken shops continue to remain closed. 'Despite repeated complaints to the police, we've received no protection to reopen our businesses,' said owner of Roshan Bakery in Paud, during a press conference that the PUCL organised in Pune on July 4. The owner further added, 'Our family has lived here for 40 years, yet we're labelled outsiders because my father's village is in Uttar Pradesh. We were warned not to reopen our bakery or face consequences.' Besides Roshan Bakery, two others – New Sangam and New Bharat – have been padlocked, costing around 400 workers their daily wages. The bakery provided employment to both Muslims and non-Muslims. 'Five Hindu vendors who sold our bread door-to-door are now jobless,' added owner of Bharat Bakery, which was established over 32 years ago. 'This isn't just about religion; it's about destroying our means of survival,' he said. The fact-finding committee met with Paud Police Station Inspector Santosh Girigosavi, who confirmed that controversial posters were removed following the SP's orders. However, the issue does not get resolved just with the removal of the posters. Several Hindutva members have allegedly been openly intimidating Muslim business owners to lease their shops and leave. Hindu Rashtra Sena member Dhananjay Desai, who has earlier faced trial in the killing of a IT professional Mohsin Shaikh in 2014 and was subsequently acquitted for want of evidence, has been once again accused of orchestrating threats from a farmhouse near Vitthalwadi village in Pune. Police confirmed a case against Desai for seizing a farmhouse, declaring that he is absconding. Another scrap shop owner, whose shop was set ablaze in early June, causing a loss of Rs 20 lakh, recounted his ordeal. 'I've lived here for years, married here, but after my shop was burned, I had to move my family to Kamshet. I filed a complaint and requested compensation, but nothing has come of it.' Like many others, he hopes to return once the situation stabilises. The hate campaign has also targeted religious spaces. Posters outside two mosques restricted namaz to local Muslims, deterring worshippers from nearby Kolvan village. Though removed, the fear lingers, with Muslims avoiding the mosques. 'The atmosphere is still tense,' a local Muslim resident, requesting anonymity, has said. The displacement has taken a severe toll. Many have had to flee to their ancestral villages in Uttar Pradesh; several have found refuge in close by Kamshet. In all this, along with livelihood, the children are the worst affected. Many had to abruptly stop their education. One of the villagers also shared instances of heightened surveillance that he and other Muslims from the village have been facing. 'A WhatsApp group of 400 villagers tracks our movements. When I went to a medical store for my son's medicine, my photo was immediately shared in the group,' he said. Ashok Matre, former Congress taluka president in Pirangut, lamenting the erosion of Mulshi's 'historical harmony', said, 'Muslims used to participate in the [Hindu religious festival of] Harinaam Saptah, wearing traditional attire. But groups like RSS, Shiv Pratishthan, and Hindu Rashtra Sena have poisoned minds.' PUCL condemned the economic boycotts as 'unconstitutional'. The Indian constitution, the human rights group emphasises, guarantees that an individual can conduct business anywhere. Civil rights groups are preparing legal action to address the violations. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Hindustan Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Police remove controversial signboards barring entry of non-local Muslims in Mulshi
Three signboards announcing that the entry of non-local Muslims is not allowed in a few villages of Mulshi taluka have been taken down by the police following complaints by civil rights organisations, Pune (Rural) superintendent of police Sandeep Singh Gill confirmed on Sunday. 'We have removed the objectionable boards after holding separate meetings with PUCL representatives and the gram panchayats of three villages. The matter is under review,' said Gill. PUCL member Milind Champanerkar said the group had also written to Baramati MP Supriya Sule and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, demanding action. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC) According to the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Muslims running businesses or working as vendors and labourers in Paud, Pirangut, Kolvan, Suatwadi and surrounding areas have been facing threats, forced shutdowns, and boycott appeals after a temple idol was allegedly desecrated by a minor boy in May. The two organisations, in a joint complaint submitted to the state chief secretary, Pune district collector, and senior police officers, alleged that the banners targeting Muslims who do not belong to the particular area were put up in many areas, including religious places, without any legal sanction. They also alleged that several bakeries and scrap shops owned by Muslims had shut down due to pressure from the fringe elements, and the local police failed to check it. PUCL member Milind Champanerkar said the group had also written to Baramati MP Supriya Sule and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, demanding action.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Now, RJD, Moitra & PUCL move Supreme Court
After the Association for Democratic Reforms, multiple petition filed by different parties, including NGO People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), TMC MP Mahua Moitra and RJD , have approached Supreme Court against Election Commission 's special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls and told the court that the exercise is illegal and calculated to disenfranchise the state's mobile migrant population which works across India but returns home to exercise their democratic right to vote. The parties are likely to mention the case before SC on Monday for urgent hearing. Moitra, in her petition, submitted that the impugned order unlawfully shifted the burden of proving eligibility from the State to the individual elector and arbitrarily excludes commonly accepted identity documents such as Aadhaar and ration cards. Shifting of the burden of voter authentication onto the citizens, and to view every citizen with suspicion until proven otherwise, is a breach of the constitutional spirit, and also is in direct contravention of the statutory scheme to which EC is bound, she said. PUCL, which moved SC through advocate Talha Abdul Rahman, submitted that the timing of the decision appears "deliberately to disenfranchise Bihar's mobile workforce during crucial electoral periods".
