AAP shifts its tribal rights leader Soni Sori to Delhi for treatment post attack

The Aam Aadmi Party shifted its leader and tribal rights activist Soni Sori to the capital for treatment on Sunday evening after she was attacked at Chhattisgarh's Dantewada a day ago by unidentified men.

Sori was attacked by three men Geedam when she was returning to Dantewada on a motorbike with her party associate from Jagdalpur. The men smeared a black, corrosive chemical on her face that left her with immense burning sensation. The incident took place a day after a human rights lawyers group was forced her to leave Jagdalpur by the local authorities.

"Despite informing the police authorities about a threat she had received recently, no protection was given to her. The attack was clearly orchestrated by the local police since Sori had been repeatedly bringing to light the instances of rapes and fake encounters that locals in the area are subjected to by security men," AAP state convener Sanket Thakur told dna.

Talking of the recent cases of atrocities against the locals, Thakur informed Sori has brought to light the rape of three women in Bijapur district in October last year. "She had complained to the collector about the brutal assault of three women in Sukma district and had also complained against the gang rape of women in January in Bijapur and also the fake encounter of a farmer in February first week. We had proofs that all these atrocities were carried out by security forces and the police, but they obviously didn't like that," Thakur said.

Thakur said Sori has been trying to file a complaint against Inspector General SRP Kalluri heading the police at Bastar, but had not been successful. She was recently told by the Dantewada district civic authorities that her house in Geedam town of the district could be demolished.

The police had recently evicted a journalist Malini Subramaniam, reporting about issues in Chhattisgarh and atrocities carried out by security forces. Soon after lawyers Shalini Gera and Isha Khandewal of the Jagdalpur Legal Aid Group were also forced to leave the area. The lawyers were working for the adivasis and their legal rights.

Sori's condition had not improved much till Sunday evening. A close associate of Sori said her face had swelled up post the attack and she was unable to open her eyes.

Ironically, Sori was kept under high security at the Maharani District Hospital in Jagdalpur after the attack with security men guarding the hospital. Even her close AAP party colleagues were not allowed to meet her initially.

A former school teacher, Sori had been arrested earlier on multiple charges including those for rioting, being involved in Maoist activities and attacking a Congress leader. She had alleged severe custodial torture in 2011. However, she was acquitted in six of the eight cases filed against her.

A press statement from the organisation women against sexual violence and state repression stated, "The series of events are clearly manipulated by the IG (Bastar) SRP Kalluri, who in 2006, as the Sarguja SP, was accused of raping a tribal woman and ordering his juniors to continue doing so for ten days.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed support for Sori. He tweeted, "V painful. Whats happening everywhere? Hope she recovers fast. Chattisgarh govt shud nab culprits immediately (sic)."
"Based on her complaint, an FIR has been lodged against unidentified persons," a police official from Dantewada said.

Kept under high security

Sori was kept under high security at the Maharani District Hospital in Jagdalpur after the attack with security men guarding the hospital. Even her close AAP party colleagues were not allowed to meet her initially.

A former school teacher, Sori had been arrested earlier on multiple charges including those for rioting, being involved in Maoist activities and attacking a Congress leader.