The police had accused the Adivasi activist of being a Maoist conduit who had allegedly received ‘protection money’ for the rebels
In March 2016, Soni Sori suffered chemical burns when three unidentified men hurled acid-like chemical at her in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district. PTI
A court in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district has acquitted tribal rights activist Soni Sori and three others in a sedition case registered in 2011. She had been arrested on charges of acting as Maoist conduits who had allegedly received ‘protection money’ for the rebels from the company.
Her exoneration in this case means that the activist has finally been acquitted of all the cases lodged against her.
Here’s a look at who she is and an understanding of the sedition case she was facing.
Who is Soni Sori?
Soni Sori belongs to the Koya tribe from Dantewada region in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. She was born to a family of administrators and politicians. She was a school teacher in Jabeli, Dantewada and taught at a government school for tribal children.
In 2011, she was arrested in Delhi by the Chhattisgarh Police and later named in six more charges, including criminal conspiracy, extortion, attack on a police station.
She alleges that while in Dantewada prison, the authorities tortured her by sexually assaulting her, physically abusing her and also delivering electric shocks to her.
Speaking of her torture, she was quoted as telling BBC, “I was often made to sit naked in my cell. And then one day stones were inserted in my private parts. I thought this was the end.”
In 2014, she was exonerated in seven of the eight cases against her and walked free from prison.
Following her release, Sori joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2014 following which she contested general elections from the Bastar constituency.
She lost that election but continues to be a member of the party, working from Bastar. She continues to fight for justice and rights of the Adivasis.
In March 2016, the tribal activist suffered chemical burns when three unidentified men hurled acid-like chemical at her in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district. At the time of the chemical attack, she had been helping tribal women register official complaints of sexual assault against the security forces.
BBC quoted her as saying after her attack, “I am fearless, the more I am tortured, the stronger I become. If they are successful in silencing me, they would show me as an example to silence everyone else.”
Sedition case
On Monday, special judge Vinod Kumar Dewangan of the Dantewada court acquitted Soni Sori, and three others, including an Essar company official in a 2011 sedition case.
The police had accused Sori of supplying money to Maoists. The police case had claimed that BK Lala, a contractor, had paid Sori and Essar official DVCS Varma Rs 15 lakh to hand over to the Maoists.
The four had been booked under Indian Penal Code section 124 (A) (sedition), 121 (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against Government of India), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act.
While acquitting the four of them, the court’s order, as obtained by Indian Express, said that the prosecution couldn’t prove the case against Sori and the others. It also registered that many of the prosecution witnesses had given contradictory statements. “The prosecution has not been able to prove the charges against the accused beyond any objectionable doubt,” the order read, acquitting the four due to lack of proof.
She welcomed the court’s judgment, but noted: “Can they return the 11 years back to me?”
“I was implicated in false cases. I had to fight for over a decade to prove myself innocent. I was a school teacher… these false cases ruined my life, my dignity, and my family had to suffer,” she was quoted as saying to news agency PTI.
“Who will bring back my dignity and 11 years of my life lost in fighting against false charges? Can the state government or the Centre return it? It is not only about Soni Sori, as several tribals of Bastar region have been bearing the brunt of such false cases,” she added.
With inputs from agencies
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