Arvind Makwana and Niruben Chorasiya

Human Rights Defenders

Gujarat

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on June 4,2020 regarding fabricated charges and assault on Mr. Arvind Makwana and Ms. Niruben Chorasiya for their intervention in a caste atrocity incident. Mr. Makwana and Ms. Chorasiya are RTI activists and are associated with Navsarjan Trust.

On April 9, 2020, Mr. Makwana and Ms. Chorasiya accompanied a few Dalit villagers to the Superintendent of Police (SP) office after getting oral clearance to travel during lockdown from the Dasha MLA. The villagers alleged that an Inspector from Dasha police station Mr. Raval had abused and assaulted them, and wanted to register a case under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. When Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr. Nakum saw the application, he was infuriated and assaulted the activists and villagers, and asked them how they had travelled during the lockdown.

On April 10, 2020, Mr. Makwana and Ms. Chorasiya got to know through media reports that an FIR was registered against them at the Dhasa police station under Sections 209, 270, 188, 506, and 114 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). for intimidating Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) the previous day.