Gender: Male

Perpetrator: India

Religion or Belief: Unspecified

Caste: Dalit

Health Concerns: Contracted COVID-19

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes

Date of Detainment: September/7/2020

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Detainment

Reason for Persecution: Civil Rights Work for Religious Communities Human Rights Work for Religious Communities

Nature of Charges: Hate Speech Terrorism Treason & Sedition

Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor

Extra Bio Info:

Ramesh Murlidhar Gaichor is detained for his human rights and civil rights work for marginalized religious communities.

On September 7, 2020, the National Investigation Agency arrested Gaichor, a human rights defender and member of the Kabir Kala Manch cultural troupe. Gaichor was charged alongside several other prominent Dalit and Adivasi rights activists, whom authorities accused of inciting caste-based violence through speeches on December 31, 2017, that resulted in violent clashes the next day in Bhima Koregaon and neighboring villages in Maharashtra state. Authorities also accused them of having ties to banned Maoist groups. Gaichor was reportedly charged under various sections of the Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In August 2021, the National Investigation Agency submitted draft charges to a special court in Mumbai, claiming that Gaichor and others accused in the case were active members of the banned terrorist organization Communist Party of India. It also alleged that the accused wanted to establish a “janta sarkar” “via revolution supported by a commitment to protracted armed struggle to undermine and to seize power from the state.” The accused were charged with over a dozen offenses including, "promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony" (Sec. 153A IPC), public mischief (Sec. 505(1)(B) IPC), “waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India” (Sec. 121 IPC), “conspiracy to commit offences” waging war against the state (Sec. 121A IPC), sedition (Sec. 124A IPC), and several sections under UAPA.

Gaichor reportedly contracted COVID-19 while in prison.

Gaichor has reportedly been denied proper medical care.

Related Cases: Shoma Sen, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Gautam Navlakha, Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, Anand Teltumbde, Hany Babu, Sagar Tatyarao Gorakhe, Jyoti Jagtap, Stan Swamy

Sources: