Image: thewire.in
Soni Sori was on the verge of filing an FIR against IG Kalluri when she was attacked
One of the main likely reasons why Adivasi leader, Soni Sori was attacked on the night of Saturday, February 20 was that for a week-ten days before the attack she was trying to get an FIR registered under ST/SC atrocities prevention act against IG, Police Chhatisgarh, Kalluri.
Soni Sori reportedly made two attempts, one was at Dantewada ST/SC thana and another was at ST/SC Thana Raipur. But both the times, the thana (police station) refused to even accept her complaint. At Dantewada, she was misinformed and given an absurd reason that Kalluri is an Adivasi and thus a complaint against him cannot be filed at this particular thana.
Thereafter, Soni Sori and her lawyers tried to look into the veracity of the claim It was found to be untrue. Later, it was confirmed that he is not an ST. Kamma’s World¸ a web portal that can be viewed at http://kammasworld.blogspot.in/2010/09/kamma-ips-officers.html proudly has him as IPS officer from this caste at serial number 31.
Over the next few days, she got busy with the Mardum encounter case, where she was helping the family raise the issue of the fake encounter in Mardum thana in Bastar district, in which Hidma was killed.
Her second attempt to file an FIR against Kalluri himself was on February 15, 2016, when she took Hidma’s wife and seven children to Raipur for a press conference. In Raipur her complaint was refused saying the incident did not lie within their geographical jurisdiction [This is a stock response of the police despite rulings of the Supreme Court of India repeatedly maintaining that a criminal complaint can be filed outside the geographical area from where it is crimes are alleged to have taken place.]
Soni Sori then decided to go directly to the SP Dantewada for filing this compliant when she was attacked. Sabrangindia has accessed a copy of the Complaint she was trying to file in which she clearly says how she fears for her life because of him, Kalluri a senior police officer of the Chhatisgarh state.
The copy of the FIR with attached media clippings as evidence can be read here.
Her team of lawyers are now considering lodging a complaint with the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes which takes up cases of atrocities against STs and also pursue the question of registering an FIR against Kalluri.
Meanwhile, letters to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders are also being sent by supporters and many protests being held across the country in protest against the attack on Soni Sori. Draft Letter to OHCHR(UN)
Please also see NHRC intervenes as BJP govt. hounds defenders of Adivasis' rights in Bastar
https://sabrangindia.in/article/nhrc-intervenes-bjp-govt-hounds-defenders-adivasis-rights-bastar
Soni Sori flown to Delhi, fears for her children's safety
https://www.sabrangindia.in/article/soni-sori-flown-delhi-fears-her-children%E2%80%99s-safety