Four persons sentenced in connection with Chilkari massacre in 2007
Voicing protest against the recent sentencing to death of cultural activist Jiten Marandi in connection with the Chilkari massacre, noted human rights activist Binayak Sen has termed it a “failure of democracy” with the State “targeting social activists” in a bid to silence them.
“Any social activist who raises his voice against the imperialistic power has been targeted always. The State is acting as panic-creator among the masses, so that people stop protesting against the inequalities in society. Thousands of people are in jail because they stand up against the authorities,” Dr. Sen told journalists on the sidelines of a seminar organised by the Jan Kalakar Jiten Rihayi Manch here on Saturday.
Four sentenced
A court sentenced Mr. Marandi to death, along with three other persons, in connection with the gunning down of 20 persons at Chilkari village by alleged Maoists on October 26, 2007.
The seminar was held in protest against the sentencing.
Appealing to the Jharkhand government to release Mr. Marandi, his wife Aparna Marandi said: “My husband is innocent. He was always involved in several social activities and used to compose songs and scripts. He has nothing to with the killings. He was recording songs in Madhuban when the incident took place”
Asked why Mr. Marandi was arrested, she said: “As Jiten used to motivate people against the imperialistic forces, he is behind the bars. Police were under pressure to arrest the real culprit, whose name is also Jiten Marandi, and arrested my husband instead.”
“The police had set up witnesses against Jiten who were instructed to identify him in front of the judge. The description of the Jiten Marandi provided by the witnesses in the FIR did not match my husband's,” Ms. Marandi alleged.
She also pointed out that even the address of the main accused in the FIR was different from that of her husband's.
To raise awareness among the masses in support of Jiten Marandi, People's Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) and other social activities are planning to organise a fund raiser programme and signature campaign।
- the Hindu
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