SC asks AIIMS to verify Soni Sori's torture claim

To be rendered all medical support

PTI | May 2, 2012



Amid allegations that foreign bodies were thrust into her private parts, the supreme court on Wednesday directed AIIMS to medically examine alleged Naxal sympathiser Soni Sori to treat her and ascertain the charges.

A bench of justices Altamas Kabir and J Chelameswar asked the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director to render her all medical assistance and submit a report to it before July 10.

A suspected Maoist conduit, Sori has been accused by the police of receiving "protection money" from the Essar group.

She was arrested on October 4 in South Delhi by a Chhattisgarh police team and was taken to Dantewada for interrogation.

Essar has denied giving funds to Maoists.

The apex court asked the AIIMS director to constitute a special medical board comprising the head of the department of gynaecology, an endocrinologist and a cardiac specialist, to look into the allegations and provide her adequate treatment.

The bench passed the order after senior counsel Colin Gonsalves cited the latest report submitted by an advocate Sudha Bharadwaj, who has stated that Sori was suffering from multiple health complications, both in her private parts and general health conditions on account of the foreign particles thrust into her by the Chhattisgarh police.

In October 2011, a special medical team from a Kolkata hospital had submitted a report to the apex court that it has recovered a certain foreign particle from her body, but could not identify the reasons as to how it got embedded in her private part.

Counsel Atul Jha appearing for the Chhattisgarh government submitted that the entire allegation was being orchestrated by certain vested interests to malign the state police.

He submitted that Sori was produced before a judicial magistrate at least on a dozen of occasions, but she did never make even a whisper about the alleged torture.

Jha said the statement recorded by lady advocate Sudha Bharadwaj was unreliable and aimed at discrediting the state government.

The apex court, however, was not convinced by the argument and proceeded to pass the order for a fresh appraisal of Sori's medical condition by the AIIMS board.

Earlier on October 20 last year, the apex court had observed that injuries suffered by tribal teacher and suspected Maoist activist Soni Sori do not prima facie seem to be as simple as it was made out and had directed the Chhattisgarh government to get her independent medical test done in Kolkata.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by Sori that she was tortured in police custody after her arrest from Delhi.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Sori, had said she was falsely implicated in a number of cases linking her to Maoist activities.

Comments

 

Other News

Tier-2 cities lead India’s digital credit push

Digital payments have become a reflex for urban India, but the confidence earned in paying has not yet carried over to borrowing. That is the central finding of `How Urban India Pays Report 2026`, released by Pahlé India Foundation in collaboration with Amazon Pay. Based on a survey of 5,149 consu

India calls for doubling bilateral trade with UK by 2030

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has called upon businesses in India and the United Kingdom to translate the opportunities created by the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) into expanded trade, investment, partnerships and job creation. Addressing the Bu

Gandhian movement after Gandhi failed: Ram Guha

The Gandhian movement in India, after Gandhi’s death, failed, says Ramachandra Guha, and blames Vinoba Bhave for it. But the movement found new, fertile grounds around the world and succeeded in bringing about a change in South Africa, the US and elsewhere. It is high time it returned home. Of cour

When religion, politics and Bollywood come together

Tavleen Singh, noted journalist and political commentator, has turned to fiction, with her debut novel ‘The Actor’ (HaperCollins India). Set in the near future, it has a superstar, Amit Singh, turning to politics, when the political landscape is dominated by prime minister Guru Gaynendraj

Cabinet approves setting up of Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority

The union cabinet, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), called Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), to strengthen research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment within the broad domains of Transp

Why foundational literacy and numeracy is key to school education

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) are often described as the building blocks of education. Yet, their significance goes well beyond a child’s ability to read a sentence, write a response or solve a basic mathematical problem. These foundational skills shape how children understand the world,

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter