New Delhi: A month ago, a 42-year-old Adivasi man, Anil Singh, hailing from Kuku village in Jharkhand’s Latehar district, was allegedly beaten by police officials after they accused him of having Maoist links. Despite serious physical injuries to Singh, and relentless protests and demonstrations outside the Garu police station, villagers allege that no action has been taken against the accused officials.The ongoing protests have been highlights the larger pattern of violence against Adivasis and repetitive instances of police targeting individuals on the suspicion of Maoist activity.Speaking to The Wire, Singh said, “It has been a month and one day, and I am finally inching closer to getting an FIR registered. After I was beaten up and tortured, I was told that the police will take appropriate action and my treatment will be taken care of. Sixteen days after my torture, I was paid peanuts for my treatment. I am continuing to struggle.”Singh was reportedly picked up late at night. In his testimony, he has shared graphic details of alleged police torture, stating that he was beaten up with lathis over 300 times and petrol was poured on his body.Singh’s medical report, provided by Sadar Hospital in Latehar, indicates injuries on both buttocks and a deep abrasion on his hip.His testimony states, “I had gone to Chipadohar thana with my complaint against Garu thana OC (Ranjit Kumar Yadav) who had beaten me with 300 to 400 lathis and also poured petrol down my anus on February 23 night. Next day the police forced me to give them my blood-soiled trouser and underwear and asked me not to complain about it. However, Chipadohar thana OC (Sujit Tiwary) refused to register my complaint, asking me to go to the police station where the incident took place and also said that since SIT has been formed to probe into it, a separate FIR cannot be lodged.”After being allegedly beaten and tortured, he was let off the next morning (February 24) and told that he was picked up by mistake.Singh’s case had drawn the attention of Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who had ordered the state police to probe the matter and take stern action against the officials involved. However, this order has not yet yielded any substantial results. When The Wire contacted the Garu police station, the official on the other side said that action is being taken and then ended the phone call.Also read: Gujarat HC Orders Probe Into Custodial Torture of Two Couples From a Denotified TribeSpeaking to The Wire, journalist Manoj Dutt explained, “Widespread protests were held in order to get the case registered against the violence. Moreover, no medicines, no arrangements were made. Our community has repeatedly taken over the police stations and called for an end to custodial torture and arbitrary arrests and detentions of our people.”The anger on the ground is also emblematic of a larger problem in the region. Dutt added, “We have given letters of appeals, requests and petitions everywhere, is our right to file an FIR non-existent now? In June 2021 the forces killed another tribal man, Bhram Dev Singh. Do we not have rights? How does the police have the right to kill us and file an FIR against us? Don’t we have any space to file a counter FIR. Anil Singh was picked up and subjected to third degree torture. We have not even received a ‘receiving’, as we mentioned our complaint, let alone an FIR.”Villagers state that the instances of violence have increased in the last decade and the story of the violence is not Anil Singh’s alone.Kuldip Singh, a resident of Pidi village participating in the protests, stated, “Violence against the tribal communities is an ongoing process; villagers across eight villages came together to register their protest. The SC/ST Act has been diluted to a point wherein no cognisance is taken about the violence against the community. Everyone in the region has been shocked and traumatised. Our community is socially and economically marginalised and is now bearing the brunt of violence.”He added, “This region is Adivasi dominated since 2007-2008. Those collecting wood in the forest or mahua flowers, or rearing livestock, have been at the receiving end of the violence as the police continues to consistently target the community.”
