Dr. Sebastiao Rodrigues is an activist and environmental rights defender who fights for the rights of fishermen to protect Goa’s environment and is part of many associations working for the welfare of the fishermen in Goa and its environment.
On September 21, 2022, Dr. Rodrigues exposed illegal sand mining and faced intimidation from both individuals involved in sand mining and alleged police inaction. Despite reporting sand extraction activities, the police allegedly failed to intervene effectively, allowing the perpetrators to escape. Dr. Rodrigues subsequently received life-threatening messages and reported collusion between police officials and illegal sand miners.
The appeal exposes the potential failure of the police to protect human rights defenders and calls for comprehensive inquiries into the threats, inaction, and collusion. HRDA urgently appealed to the National Human Rights Commission to intervene and investigate these violations under Section 12(a) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, urging swift action to address the urgent situation in Goa.
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