In a reprehensible act of injustice, 40 dalit activists, primarily rural landless poor, in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district, were convicted and sentenced to 10 years life imprisonment in a 29 years old fabricated case filed by feudal forces to suppress the CPIML-led people's movement for rights and dignity.
The court in Deoria ruled against the activists who led a peaceful protest under the banner of Indian People's Front (IPF) on 17 January 1995 against oppression and slavery by the feudal forces in Ram Baluan village. During the protest, the upper-caste feudals opened fire, killing a woman and child, injuring several protesters. Comrade Ramkishore Verma was shot at and brutally beaten up.
A case was filed against this attack, but in collusion with the police, the murderers also filed a counter-case. Fifty-nine people, including seven minors, were named in the counter-case filed by the attackers. Ten died during the trial. While the court convicted the peaceful protesters, three out of four criminals who attacked the peaceful protest and killed a women and a child were acquitted by the same court.
CPIML senior leader and UP State Committee member Ramkishore Verma, AIARLA Deoria district president Prabhunath Paswan and party’s district committee members Chhotelal Kushwaha and Nathuni Sharma, Radhakishun and Jalesar Patel are among 40 people convicted under IPC sections 395 & 397.
The CPIML leader Rajesh Sahni has said the party will file an appeal against the judgement in the higher court. A statewide protest was organised by CPIML on February 19 against this travesty of justice.
Under the Yogi led BJP regime, the confidence of criminals and feudal elements has reached its peak. In collusion with the government, these forces have unleashed false cases against CPIML members and other democratic activists.
In another incident, activists in Mirzapur have been falsely charged, jailed and expelled from the district under the instigation of BJP henchmen. In Azamgarh, a CPIML local committee member, Rajendra Ram, was sent to jail on 14 February after he was charged in a fabricated case.
