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The Human Rights Forum (HRF), a civil rights organisation based in Andhra Pradesh has condemned the physical attack on People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) general secretary Dr V Suresh in Tamil Nadu.
Suresh, also a senior advocate practising at the Madras High Court was assaulted by around 25 ‘hired agents of the mining mafia.’
The assault took place in Tirunelveli on Sunday, November 2 during a public hearing. The hearing intended to discuss social and environmental issues emanating from illegal stone quarrying in Tirunelveli district. Suresh was chairing the jury panel of the hearing when the assault took place.
The hearing was organised by the anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam.
Arappor Iyakkam’s Convener Jayaram Venkatesh told TNM the attack was intended to intimidate villagers and prevent them from speaking about the negative impact of quarrying.
Also Read: Attack on NGO’s public hearing on illegal quarrying in TN, PUCL’s Dr Suresh injured
“The attack took place in the context of Suresh’s prior work as amicus curiae in a PIL that uncovered a massive illegal beach-sand mineral mining scam across Tirunelveli,” HRF said in their statement.
“This case led to a ban on mining operations. We believe that some of the mining companies implicated in that scam are behind Sunday’s attack,” HRF said.
HRF called on the Tamil Nadu Government to institute a credible and independent investigation into the assault on Suresh, the circumstances which led to the police not intervening during the attack and arrest those involved in attacking Suresh.
“The safety of Suresh and all human rights defenders working in the region must be ensured,” the statement concluded.