Tamil Nadu police is hounding film maker Divya Bharathi. On Monday evening 15 police officials entered her home without search warrant and demander her father about her whereabouts.
The News Minute reported that
On Tuesday, the group stopped her vehicle outside Madurai District Court, insisting that she come with them. “We kept asking who they were and if they had summons, which they didn’t. They even took our keys. When we asked for the officer to show us his id card, we found that he’s from Salem. When Madurai police officers have not approached, what is the need for an official from Salem to investigate?” asks Gopal. Divya is currently with friends inside Madurai bar council under the supervision of bar council secretary.
Divya Bharathi wrote on her Facebook page on June 3 afternoon that she was being intimidated.
“Today in the morning when I was not at home, more than 15 police and intelligence agents rounded up my house as if they were holding a huge culprit. Four of them jumped the compound wall and entered from the backside, four entered from my neighbour’s house and five through the front door and checked the entire house. All 13 Lady Police officers were not in their uniforms. No details were given to advocate Rajendran who came to my house upon hearing the news. Saying they wanted to inquire regarding my documentary, they scrounged every corner in the house”
Divya Bharathi’s documentary “Kakkoos” on manual scavenging received rave reviews and also incurred the ire of the Tamil Nadu government. In July last year Divya was arrested on an FIR filed in 2009.
These are turbulent times and anyone can be arrested on suspicion of speaking out about rulers apathy and cruelty prevalent in society. The harassment of the director Divya is an extension of muzzling dissent and pinpointing the lapses in policies affecting people