Adivasi leader Soni Sori attacked with Acid: a day earlier officials warned to demolish her house

Hindustan Times, Feb 21, 2016

Tribal activist and Aam Aadmi Party leader Soni Sori was admitted to a hospital on Saturday after unidentified men threw acid-like chemical at her in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, police said

The incident took place near Jawanga village under Geedam police station at around 10:40pm when Sori along with her two associates was heading towards Geedam from Jagdalpur on a motorcycle, a senior police official told PTI.

As per the statement of the victim, three youths on a motorcycle stopped them after crossing Bastanar Ghat and asked them to alight from their vehicle. One of them immediately hurled the liquid at her face following which the trio fled from the spot, he added.

Subsequently her associates rushed her to Geedam hospital and informed police.

Though the chemical did not disfigure her face Sori said she suffered from a burning sensation, the official said.

“According to doctors the alleged liquid seemed to be grease diluted with chemical. The woman (Sori) was further shifted to Jagdalpur hospital and kept under observation as she has complained of burning sensation in her face,” he added.

A case has been registered, the official said adding that further probe was on.

Sori also serves as the warden of a government-run school in Jabeli where she teaches tribal children.

Sori has been accused of being a Maoist conduit and of receiving “protection money” from the Essar group for rebels. Sori was arrested on October 4 in south Delhi by a Chhattisgarh police team and taken to Dantewada for interrogation. Essar has denied giving funds to Maoists. Sori has denied all the accusations mad against her.

Earlier Bastar officials told Soni Sori that her house could be demolished : A day after a legal aid group of lawyers and a freelance journalist were asked to vacate their houses in Jagdalpur district headquarters of restive Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, two more human rights activists were allegedly hounded by the police on Friday.

Tribal activist and Aam Admi Party leader Soni Sori was “informed” by the Dantewada district civic authorities that her house in Geedam town of the district could be demolished.

“They came to my house and told me that my house is on an encroached land and it could be demolished in an encroachment clearing drive,” Ms. Sori told The Hindu.

The police also visited the residence of Bela Bhatia, a researcher who had been a part of many fact-finding teams which investigated recent cases of excesses by the security forces in Bastar.

Ms. Bhatia could not be reached for her comment but Isha Khandelwal, a lawyer from Jagadalpur legal aid group, said that the police questioned her landlord.

Malini Subramanium, a freelance journalist and former head of the International Committee of Red Cross in Chhattisgarh, left Bastar on Friday.

Asked about the happenings, Bastar police head S.R.P. Kalluri told a press conference in Raipur:“I personally went to Ms. Subramaniuam’s place after the alleged attack on her house. About the legal aid group, the local bar association has got some issues with them that the people from outside are coming to Bastar and working here, when the locals are unemployed.”

Here are the contact details of the local authorities, Please call them to keep pressure on administration for taking immediate actions against the culprits:

Dantewada SP – 07856 – 252224; 9479194300

Dantewada DM – 07856-252455; 7587700111

Other important nos are. 9479194313

07856 244437