Rajiv Gandhi

Human Rights Defender

Tamil Nadu

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on October 15, 2019 regarding the arrest and attack on social activist and human rights defender Mr. Rajiv Gandhi by police personnel in Sivagangai district of Tamil Nadu. Mr. Gandhi is a known active member of the Revolutionary Youth Front. He has been constantly working on various human rights issues and social issues such rights of environment, employment for youth, etc. and has coordinated several social movements under the banner of Tamil National Federation.

On July 14, 2019, a bull fight was organised in Kaanchipatti village, Kalayarkovil taluk, Sivagangai district, during a temple festival, attended by hundreds of people from surrounding villages for which several policemen were deployed for maintaining security. Mr. Gandhi was also attending this festival. Sources note that Mr. Anthony and two other policemen started to indiscriminately attack the people who were present at the festival without any provocation.

Mr. Gandhi approached the policemen to question them on their actions, after which he was reprimanded and attacked for raising his voice. Consequently, he was taken to the Kalayarkovil police station where he was questioned about his affiliations to Revolutionary Youth Front by Sub-Inspector Mr. Ganesh, and stated that he had created many ‘problems’ through his previous actions and had no right to question the police. After this,  a false case against Mr. Gandhi was registered, which was filed an FIR with Cr. No: 284/2019 under sections 294 (b), 353, 323, 506 (II) of the Indian Penal Code and was remanded in the prison.