âBeing Neutral is Our Biggest Crimeâ - Global Coalition to Protect ...
âBeing Neutral is Our Biggest Crimeâ - Global Coalition to Protect ...
âBeing Neutral is Our Biggest Crimeâ - Global Coalition to Protect ...
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The police called in reinforcements who arrived in a van <strong>to</strong> take away Baman and the<br />
corpses. Before they left, they raided Gangi’s hut and <strong>to</strong>ok away everything. “They<br />
didn’t even leave a spoon,” she said. 122<br />
A few hours later, a policewoman arrived and <strong>to</strong>ok Gangi <strong>to</strong> the police station saying<br />
that they wanted <strong>to</strong> return her things. When she went <strong>to</strong> the police station the police<br />
informed her that they had found a rifle in her hut and wanted <strong>to</strong> question her. She<br />
was held in police cus<strong>to</strong>dy for two days. “The police kept saying, ‘Say that they [her<br />
nephew and h<strong>is</strong> friends] were Naxalites and we will give all your things back.’ But<br />
how could I? I cannot commit such a sin just because they would give my things<br />
back.” 123<br />
The police returned a week later and <strong>to</strong>ok a number of Baman’s relatives <strong>to</strong> the<br />
police station. Once again the police pressured them <strong>to</strong> change their testimony.<br />
Baman’s cousin Aitey said, “They put us under a lot of pressure, accusing us of<br />
supporting Naxalites. Then they said, ‘Say that Naxalites opened fire when the police<br />
came and that the police fired in retaliation.’ But that <strong>is</strong> a lie, so we refused.” 124<br />
Baman has now been charged with being a Naxalite, and the trial before the criminal<br />
court <strong>is</strong> pending.<br />
While in some cases security forces actively joined with Salwa Judum in committing<br />
human rights violations, in others they have been passive specta<strong>to</strong>rs who failed <strong>to</strong><br />
maintain law and order. In one instance police did not intercede <strong>to</strong> prevent Salwa<br />
Judum members from indulging in criminal acts even in police station prem<strong>is</strong>es. A<br />
group of women who went <strong>to</strong> the police station <strong>to</strong> plead for the release of their family<br />
members said that Salwa Judum members came there and beat them while the<br />
police s<strong>to</strong>od and watched. As one of the women described, in April or May 2006,<br />
The police used <strong>to</strong> come and take some 20 <strong>to</strong> 30 women from our<br />
village and keep us in the police station and beat us … After about two<br />
122 Ibid.<br />
123 Ibid.<br />
124 Ibid.<br />
53<br />
Human Rights Watch July 2008
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