M. Valarmathi

Journalism Student

Tamil Nadu

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on September 21 regarding the criminal case registered under Section 153, 505 (1) (b) IPC and Sec 7 (1) A of the Criminal Amendment Act against Ms. Valarmathi and Ms. Jayanthi, the mother of one of her friends

on July 12, 2017, and the detention order that has been issued by the Commissioner of Police of Salem under the Goondas Act. Ms. M. Valarmathi is a post-graduate student of Mass Communication and Journalism at the Periyar University in Salem and a young human rights defender.

It is alleged that on July 12 Ms. Valarmathi and Mrs. Jayanthi were distributing pamphlets highlighting the environmental degradation that was taking place in

the state within Kadiranmangalam and Neduvasal with several demands to the central and state governments asking them to give up such anti-people policies, seeking the withdrawal of police force from Kadiramangalam and calling for the release of activists like Prof. Jeyaraman who have been arrested in Kadiramangalam. The pamphlets were distributed by Ms. Valarmathi under the banner of ‘Iyarkai Paadukappu Kuzhu’ (Nature Protection Group).

A close and careful study of the pamphlets by the Hon’ble Commission

will reveal how they were not at all provocative but only highlighting facts and making demands –falling squarely within the ambit of Art 51A of the Constitution. Ms. Valarmathi and Ms. Jayanthi were arrested at 8.30 am by the police. They were taken to Ammapet Police Station where they were detained from 9 am to almost 10.30 pm, when they were finally remanded.

At the time of arrest force was used by the police and Ms. Valarmathi sustained in injuries on her right lower hand. This was also duly mentioned by her at the time of remand to the Judicial Magistrate. No one, including her family members and lawyers, were allowed access to her while she was in police custody.

Acting on the recommendation from Assistant Commissioner Mr. Ramasamy and Deputy Commissioner Mr. G Subbulakshmi, the Police Commissioner issued the order on July 17 and Ms.Valarmathi was shifted to the Coimbatore Central Prison from Salem’s Women’s Prison and detained under the Goondas Act. Even in this case she was exercising her freedom guaranteed under the Article 19 (1)

of the Indian Constitution.

Distributing pamphlets is not an offence in this country. This is a case of a woman human rights defender who was only exercising her fundamental rights and who has been falsely implicated in a criminal offence and detained under the Goondas Act which is meant for slum-grabbers, bootleggers etc