Thread by @Sushmitav1

Before the year draws to a close and the festivities begin, I would like to draw your attention towards how one celebration of Jharkhand Adivasis became a day of mourning; events that have followed have meant no recourse to justice

Story of encounter killing of Bramhadev Singh

On June 12, 2021 several Hindi and English language media outlets reported an encounter between ‘Maoists’ and Jharkhand police and security forces in the Kuku-Piri forest in Jharkhand’s Latehar district. A rumour was spread that a Maoist, of the gang Chhotu Kerwar had been killed

Local journalists reached the spot of the incident and started sharing videos and information that the one killed was not a Maoist but an Adivasi youth. In subsequent reporting by both print and digital+English and Hindi language media outlets, it was clarified that the person

killed was an Adivasi. The deceased was identified as Bramhadev Singh who went out for ritualistic hunting with five others, all from his family. Bramhadev, merely 24 years of age and a tempo driver, had been married for over a year to Jiramani Devi and was the father of one year

old son Prince. Subsequent fact finding by @JharkhandJanad1 , #PUCL and others highlighted the several holes in police story. It was claimed by authorities that the family was paid compensation, Jiramani Devi denied it. Moreover, his companions were charged with FIRs

In October, Jiramani Devi filed a complaint at the Latehar district Judicial Magistrate court. The court took up the case and decided to probe at its own level instead of asking the local thana to lodge FIR.
As of today, their family still awaits justice

fin

@TribalArmy