P. Ranganayakamma

Woman Human Rights Defender

Andhra Pradesh

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on July 1, 2020 regarding the arrest of Ms. P Ranganayakamma in a fabricated case for questioning the government regarding its response to the Vishakhapatnam gas leak incident. Ms. Ranganayakamma is a 66-year-old woman human rights defender, writer and critic who has written extensively on issues relating to women and social justice.

On May 18, 2020, Ms. Ranganayakamma uploaded a Facebook post questioning the government’s role in the Vishakhapatnam gas leak incident that killed 12 people and seriously injured more than 450 people. An FIR was filed against Ms. Ranganayakamma by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) of Andhra Pradesh police immediately after she put up the post under Section 505(2) (making statements that create or promote enmity),153(A) (indulging in wanton vilification), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 120-B r/w 34 (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Section 67 (Punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the IT Act. 

Ms. Ranganayakamma was arrested by the CID the same day, citing that “action would be taken against those who post false comments against the State Government and misguide the public.”