annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Maharashtra
The Dalits continued to face physical
violence as well as boycott by the upper
caste Hindus for making attempts to
access the public places including water
wells.
The conditions of the Adivasis,
indigenous peoples in Maharashtra
remained deplorable. On 5 July 2004, state
government acknowledged that more than
9,000 tribal children below the age of six
years died of starvation/ malnutrition in 15
districts of Maharashtra between April
2003 and May 2004. As many as 1,041
children died of malnutrition during April-
May 2004. 1 The Naxalites have reportedly
strengthened their activities in tribaldominated
districts of Gadchiroli, Gondia
and Chandrapur. 2
In violation of the Supreme Court
order of 2000, the Maharashtra
government raised the height of the Sardar
Sarovar dam without resettling the already
affected families. On 13 March 2004, the
Narmada Control Authority allowed
raising of the Sadar Sarovar dam height
from 100 metres to 110 metres though
thousands of families were not resettled.
On 4 June 2004, the state government
announced a three-member panel headed
by former High Court judge
Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari to review
the Maharashtra Control of Organised
Crime Act (MCOCA). 3 On different
occasions, courts found misuse of the
MCOCA and the Prevention of Terrorism
Act, 2002. On 16 April 2004, Zaheer
Ahmed Sheikh, the prime accused in the
blast of a BEST bus at Ghatkopar on 2
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December 2002 that left two persons dead
and 34 injured, was reportedly granted bail
for Rs 1 lakhs following the ruling of the
Central POTA Review Committee that
there was no prima-facie evidence against
him. 4
II. Atrocities by security forces
i. Arbitrary, summary and extrajudicial
executions
The security forces have been
responsible for widespread human rights
violations including the deprivation of the
right to life. The NHRC had registered 156
cases of custodial deaths in 1999-2000,
123 cases in 2000-2001, 152 cases in
2001-2002 and 143 cases in 2002-2003 in
the state. 5
On 25 February 2004, Dasharath
Shankar Thorat died in the custody of the
Khadki police Station in Pune. Police
claimed that the deceased was a drug
addict and had died a natural death. The
case was later handed over to state
Criminal Investigation Department (CID)
for investigation, which revealed that
Thorat had been severely beaten and had
died due to injuries. Six policemen - Sub-
Inspector Ashok Randive, constable B P
Gadankush, constable Ravi Chippa,
constable H B Jagtap, constable B D
Udadade, and constable Umesh Dhendewere
charged with murder. A civilian,
Alisagar Saudagar, was also charged for
participating in the conspiracy to cover up
the custodial death. 6
On 12 March 2004, 40-year-old Cracy