Follow up action on Police Violence against members of VAMP, Nippani

[Guest guest]

FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE POLICE BRUTALITY AT NIPPANI, KARNATAKA AGAINST

MEMBERS OF VAMP AND SANGRAM.

On 18th Feb, a police officer blatantly misused his authority, to intimidate

and threaten a group of women from an NGO SANGRAM / VAMP, which works for the

rights of women in prostitution and for prevention of HIV / AIDS in the region.

The matter was covered in Times of India, Pune edition on 20th February, based

on a story filed by Neel Pate, a reporter who was an eyewitness to the incidence

at Nippani Police Station.

In response, sixteen organisations (including your group) joined to send

petitions to the police and state authorities in Karnataka, State Womens

Commission, National Women's Commission, National Human Rights Commission to

immediately take appropriate action against the concerned Circle inspector and

the Corporator and also to provide security to the women and their families who

have since fled the town of Nippani.

Apart from sending petition for action to the Chief Minister of Karnataka on

20th Feb, we have sent a formal complaint to the SP, Belgaum and met the DGP

S.Bhaskar, Secretary (Home) A.R..Infant, DGP (ADDl - Law & Order) Subhash

Bharani, NCHR member Justice Sujatha Manohar, IGP (Human Rights) Mr.Motiram

and State Commission for women, Philomena Peres. Ms.Advani, of NCW directed

that the State Commission of Women visit Nippani with NGO representatives.

The NHRC has considered our complaint at it's meeting on 4/3/2002 and passed

the following order : " Issue notice to the Chief Secretaries and Director

Generals of Police of Maharashtra and Karnataka as well as S.P of Belgaum for

reply within two weeks. In the meanwhile, the SP-Belgaum is directed to provide

necessary protection to the members of the organisation and all those persons

carrying on the HIV/AIDS prevention programme. " The commission has sent

notices to all the concerned Chief Secretaries (maharashtra & Karnataka) and

Director Generals of Police, SP of Belgaum, with copy to The Secreatry (Law &

Order), Govt of Karnataka and IGP (Grievances)-Govt of Karnataka.

SANGRAM / VAMP held a press conference on 23rd February, to bring the details of

the incidence to the notice of the press and to enlist the support of the media

to ensure that justice is done to the group of 30 women from Nippani who have

not been able to return to their homes to this date. We learn that while media

carried the story in their issues of 24 / 25th Feb, a parallel vilification

programme of character assassination against SANGRAM and particularly Meena

Seshu, is being carried out by some groups / organisations in Mumbai.

We learn from the IGP M.D.Singh, that disciplinary proceedings are to be

initiated against the circle inspector, Nippani consequent to the completion of

the enquiry. Dy SP of Belgaum has also written to SANGRAM (17/3/2002) to write

that the PSI Nippani has been directed to receive the complaint from SANGRAM and

that " ... As regards giving protection to the members of VAMP for conducting

AIDS/HIV awareness program the local police have been instructed to give

necessary protection for conducting awareness programs provided members of VAMP

conduct awareness programs without causing hindrance, nuisance, annoyance to the

citizens of Nippani Town and do not indulge in any illegal activities " (the

italics are ours). It is clear from this, that the local police in Nippani and

Belgaum, have conducted even the enquiry under pressure from NHRC and the

letter of Dy SP, Belgaum is actually a veiled threat rather than an assurance.

To preempt further harassment to the members of VAMP in Nippani either from

the police or the local politicians, it is necessary that an action of

support be carried out in Nippani at this stage. For this purpose, SANGRAM

has called all supporting organisations from Karnataka and Maharashtra and other

places, to be at Nippani on 9th / 10th of April. On behalf of the support

group in Bangalore, we suggest the following programme .... please confirm at

the earliest, if you would like to join us.

8th April - Leave for SANGLI in the morning and reach SANGLI at about 8 in

the evening. The night of 8th, we will plan with SANGRAM on our proposed action

at NIPPANI. On 9th morning, leave for NIPPANI and reach Nippani in the

afternoon. We do a meeting / Women in Black / meeting the residents (as per

plan made in SANGLI) and in the night, return to Bangalore / sleep over and

return on the morning of 10th.

This is a tentaive program and we will finalise after your feedback. However,

we need to move fast and hence, can we ask you to get in touch with us

immediately, to confirm whether you will be a part of the team?

with warm regards,

Madhu, AWHRC

E-mail: <awhrci@...>

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