Ebilisious Joel

Human Rights Defender

Tamil Nadu

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on June 15 regarding the abuse, harassment and brutal assault by the police on human rights defender, Mr. Ebilisious Joel, in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. Mr. Joel is the Kanyakumari district president of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPM, as well as the executive member of the Karungal Regional Traders’ Association.

At 6:15 pm on March 18, 2017, Mr. Joel was driving a two-wheeler near Karungal junction. The police sub-inspector, Mr. Ramesh Mohan, stopped Mr. Joel and seized his vehicle inside the Karungal police station accusing him of not wearing a helmet. Thereby, later, Mr. Joel went to the police station to take some important business documents which he had kept in the two-wheeler. The police did not allow him to pick up his personal papers.

Instead, Mr Mohan became angry and scolded him using filthy language, and also attacked him up with a stick. The head constable, Mr. Paulraj, and other constables, Mr. Kasper Raj, Mr. John Kennedy, Mr. Rasil Raj and Mr. Prathap joined him and physically assaulted Mr. Joel. He was taken into custody.

The local members of the DYFI came to know about the brutal attack on Mr. Joel and rushed to the Karungal police station. They got him released from custody, ensured first aid in the nearby Anna Hospital and got him admitted him in the Parasala Government Hospital in Kerala.