It is deeply concerning that new cases are reportedly being framed against political prisoner Rupesh, who has been imprisoned in Viyyur Central Jail for nearly ten years under accusations of Maoist links, just months before the completion of his sentence. We demand that the Kerala government withdraw from this move, as it undermines trust in the judicial system and disrespects democratic values.
The Kozhikode Crime Branch/Kerala ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad) is said to be moving forward with steps to charge new cases against Rupesh. These new charges are reportedly related to the attack on a quarry in Chooranimala, Mukkom, in Kozhikode district (case number 357/cb/cu3/KKD/2013/ATS). The case is registered at the Thottilpalam Police Station.
After Rupesh was arrested in Coimbatore in 2015, the Kerala police interrogated him under custody for about 100 days in various phases within two years, filing around 43 cases against him. He has secured bail in all these cases. In fact, he has been acquitted in one case, fully acquitted in five others, and partially acquitted in another. Under these circumstances, it is suspicious that Rupesh, who was never charged in this particular case until now, is being interrogated based on documents seized during his 2015 arrest.
No investigation or mention of this case has been made by the police until now. Rupesh is currently convicted only in a case filed by the NIA, which is under appeal in a higher court, and he has only a few months remaining in that sentence. Details of all the cases against Rupesh are included in the files related to the NIA case. During the NIA trial, discussions regarding all the cases against Rupesh took place in court, yet this case was never mentioned by the police. Additionally, in response to an application filed under the Right to Information Act, the Kerala Home Department responded that there are no more cases against Rupesh in Kozhikode district (Letter No. G1(a)-85112/2016/DR).
It is highly unjust to treat a political activist, who has spent nearly ten years in prison, with such vindictiveness just as he is about to be released. These developments are happening amid growing criticism of the police. Therefore, we urge the government to pay immediate attention to this issue and ensure that no injustice or unlawful action is carried out, emphasizing the government’s responsibility to uphold justice.
Signed by:
Justice P.K. Shamsuddin
Sachidanandan
K.G. Shankara Pillai
Dr.Sebastian Paul (Ex-MP)
K.K. Rema (MLA)
A. Vasu
B. Rajeevan
Kalpetta Narayanan
M.N. Karassery
M.N. Ravunni
K. Murali
Adv. Madhusoodanan
Adv. P.A. Pouran
Anwar Ali
V.C. Jenny
Meena Kandasamy
P.N. Gopikrishnan
Kusumam Joseph
T.T. Sreekumar
Sulphath
Raihanath Siddiq
Pramod Puzhankara
K.T. Ram Mohan
N. Subrahmanyan
Adv. Bhadrakumari
Jolly Chirayath
Lali P.M.
Ambika
Adv. Chandrasekharan
N. Subrahmanyan
Ansar
Rasikh Rahim
Sajid Khalid
Dr. M.M. Khan
Adv. Tushar Nirmal Sarathi
Haritha Gopi
P.N. Provint
B.S. Baburaj
Hari S.
