CALL FOR SOLIDARITY WITH AND SUPPORT FOR THE DEMANDS OF
POLITICAL PRISONER ROOPESH ON HUNGER STRIKE SINCE FIFTEEN DAYS and
POLITICAL PRISONER ANOOP ON HUNGER STRIKE SINCE FOUR DAYSl
AT COIMBATORE CENTRAL JAIL.
POLITICAL PRISONER ROOPESH ON HUNGER STRIKE SINCE FIFTEEN DAYS and
POLITICAL PRISONER ANOOP ON HUNGER STRIKE SINCE FOUR DAYSl
AT COIMBATORE CENTRAL JAIL.
As his Indefinite Hunger Strike crossed the fifteenth day, a severely weakened Com. Roopesh fell unconscious at the Coimbatore Central Jail. Meanwhile another political prisoner, Com Anoop, has joined the hunger strike from the last four days. Both have been implicated in a number of Maoist related cases.
The Demands of the Hunger Strike are not for any privilege but for the implementation of the most basic Fundamental Rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution. The main demand of the hunger strike is for full disclosure by the police of all the cases they intend to apply on the political prisoners.
Article 22(1) of the Constitution lays down that, 'No person who is arrested shall be detained in custody without being informed, as soon as may be, of the grounds for such arrest ...'. This implies that the person arrested is entitled to be informed as soon as possible of the list of the various cases in which the police intend to implicate that person. And it is merely the implementation of this constitutional provision that is being demanded by the political prisoners. This is because the police authorities in political prisoner cases invariably adopt the tactics of deliberately denying information till the prisoner is acquitted in all matters and then rearresting the prisoner by claiming that his involvement in other cases has just been discovered. In this way the political prisoner can be repeatedly rearrested and kept indefinitely in prison. This police ploy is a deliberate denial of the political prisoner's constitutional and democratic rights. It is further a deliberate denial of the right to a speedy trial which has been recognised as a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution.
A short summary of the demands raised by Roopesh at the commencement of his hunger strike are:
1. Repeal NSA, UAPA and all other draconian laws.
2. Disclose all cases intended to be applied and immediately commence proceedings in all cases. So far though the police have claimed that there are thirty three cases against Roopesh, arrest proceedings have been initiated only in nine cases. This is a deliberate attempt to extend the period of incarceration lifelong.
3. Stop police custody. Despite provisions of the CrPC limiting the period of police custody to 15 days, and in the case of UAPA to 30 days, the police authorities are deliberately circumventing this provision by taking separate police custody remand in each and every case. Thus until 25th July, Roopesh was in police custody for 49 days. This has been used as an instrument of mental harassment and torture, because there is no investigation, and interrogation, if any, is only for an hour or so and the rest of the time the prisoner is merely kept locked up.
4. Recognition as Political Prisoner. Provision of arrangements for reading and writing.
5. Members of the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners - CRPP CRPP Kerala be permitted to meet at specified intervals.
1. Repeal NSA, UAPA and all other draconian laws.
2. Disclose all cases intended to be applied and immediately commence proceedings in all cases. So far though the police have claimed that there are thirty three cases against Roopesh, arrest proceedings have been initiated only in nine cases. This is a deliberate attempt to extend the period of incarceration lifelong.
3. Stop police custody. Despite provisions of the CrPC limiting the period of police custody to 15 days, and in the case of UAPA to 30 days, the police authorities are deliberately circumventing this provision by taking separate police custody remand in each and every case. Thus until 25th July, Roopesh was in police custody for 49 days. This has been used as an instrument of mental harassment and torture, because there is no investigation, and interrogation, if any, is only for an hour or so and the rest of the time the prisoner is merely kept locked up.
4. Recognition as Political Prisoner. Provision of arrangements for reading and writing.
5. Members of the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners - CRPP CRPP Kerala be permitted to meet at specified intervals.
The above democratic demands require solidarity and support from all democratic rights activists and sympathisers. Please express your support and solidarity with the hunger-strikers.
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