Condemn the kidnapping

Cultural activist Utpal Bhaske and Ispat Hembram kidnapped

August 31, 2013

COMMITTEE FOR THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS
185/3, FOURTH FLOOR, ZAKIR NAGAR,NEW DELHI-110025

30/08/2013

Condemn the kidnapping of Cultural activist Utpal Bhaske and anti-displacement activist Ispat Hembram from Ranchi by the lawless Jharkhand Police!

Release Utpal and Ispat Immediately and Unconditionally!

CRPP condemns strongly the kidnapping of cultural activist Utpal Bhaske and anti-displacement activist Ispat Hembram from the office of the Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan (VVJVA) by the lawless Jharkhand police in the wee hours of 30 August 2013. As usual there is no arrest warrant on the two and nobody knows where they are. Utpal Bhaske had gone to Ranchi from his village as he had to attend the hearing on his case at the Ranchi court. He had decided to stay at the office of the VVJVA as there was no other place for him to stay over the night. Utpal Bhaske a known cultural activist from Jharkhand had tirelessly campaign againstthe conviction of Jiten Marandi of Jharkhand Abhen, when he was framed in a case and was awarded death penalty by the lower court. Utpal had travelled the length and breadth of every region in the subcontinent to mobilise public opinion against the fascist designs of the Jharkhand as well as the Central government of India on the adivasis of Central and Eastern India, especially against the death penalty and for the acquittal of Jiten Marandi as he was the voice of voiceless among the exploited and oppressed in Jharkhand and the entire adivasi region. Utpal’s tireless campaign had gained the wrath of the authorities and had successfully exposed their designs before the defiant masses who refused lie low. Thus Utpal has been arrested several times since and had faced brutal torture in the police custody. This time too we are concerned about the well being of Utpal and Ispat as the lawless Jharkhand police can torture them to
any extent let alone frame them in various cases and yet go unscathed.

We demand the unconditional release of Utpal Bhaske and Ispat Hembram immediately! We strongly demand that Utpal and Ispat be produced
before a court of law at the earliest.

In Solidarity,

SAR Geelani
President

Amit Bhattacharyya
Secretary General

Rona Wilson
Secretary, Public Relations

Condemn the kidnapping of cultural activist Utpal Bhaske and anti-displacement activist Ispat Hembram