India: CASR Demands Immediate Release of Bellala Padma
We hereby share a statement that we have received from Campaign Against State Repression (CASR).
CASR DEMANDS THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF WRONGFULLY INCARCERATED ADVOCATE AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVIST BELLALA PADMA ON MEDICAL GROUNDS
It has come to our attention that Bellala Padma, an advocate and women’s rights activist from Telangana whose health has been deteriorating at an alarming rate, is still wrongfully held a prisoner regardless of her deteriorating health. She has been repeatedly vomiting blood and losing consciousness, all to be neglected by concerned authorities. The administration at the jail medical center has only so far provided her with Multivitamin and Vitamin C tablets. She has reported excruciating pain in her ribs, and painful leg cramping during the nights. She has been plagued by continuous bouts of diarrhoea and in her deteriorating state, has been bedridden from March 28th to April 8th.
Bellala Padma (50), a senior women’s rights activist, has been held prisoner at Jagadalpur since 20th June 2023 follwing her arrest by the NIA. Earlier, she was imprisoned for a sentence of ten years (2007- 2017) as an under-trial prisoner. As a result of the 10-year-long incarceration her health had drastically deteriorated, and she had never really recovered from it after her release in 2017 where she was acquitted of all charges filed against her. She has then proceeded to complete her LLB and was enrolled in LLM when she was apprehended by the NIA in June 2023 while undergoing treatment in Vijayawada. She has been in Jagdalpur prison ever since.
Despite her severe health condition for several days, Jagdalpur jail authorities have refused to grant her better medical treatment in this critical condition. This is not the first time that the Brahmanical Hindutva Fascist state have kept political prisoners in inhuman conditions while in imprisonment, and denied them proper medical treatment. The wilful act of the repressive state in punishing actors of justice in jails and severely neglecting their medical needs has led to the death of many activists in the country.
This is not the first time that prison authorities are taking directions from the NIA, the Police and Intelligence Agencies, creating an inhuman situation for political prisoners that incrementally destroys their mental and physical health. Stan Swamy, Pandu Narote, Kanchan Nanaware, G N Saibaba were all victims of the tyrannical state who were contiunuesly denied medical treatment during incarceration and whose untimely death lies in the hands of the guilty state.
CASR demands the immediate release of advocate and women’s rights activist Bellala Padma on medical grounds. We urge the National Human Rights Commission and Chhattisgarh State Human Rights Commission to intervene in this matter with the utmost urgency and ensure that Bellala Padma is provided the right of a proper medical treatment in a proper medical facility.
Finally, we call upon all progressive democratic rights organizations and individuals to come together as one and raise a collective voice for Bellala Padma and her dauntless, fearless social activism.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION
Organizing Team
(AIRSO, AISA, AISF, APCR, ASA, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM, COLLECTIVE, CRPP, CSM CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity Movement, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, NAPM, NAZARIYA, Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Samjwadi lok manch, Bahujan Samjvadi Munch, SFI, United Peace Alliance, WSS,Y4S)
