Mr. Kaleem Ansari (51) is a disabled person and social activist. He has been working for education, social justice and tribal rights for 30 years. He and his wife also run an institute where underprivileged children are given free education. Mr. Ansari is paralyzed and uses a wheel chair with an attendant for mobility.

Ms. Amina Khatoon (16) is the minor daughter of Mr. Kaleem Ansari.

Background of the Incident: Mr. Ansari had been working for Dalit and tribal rights in the locality for 30 odd years. He has also been an active participant in anti-CAA citizen protests in Sonbhadra. In 2019, during the anti-CAA protests, his house was ransacked by the police and extreme pressure was put on him not to take part in the peaceful citizen protests. In 2020, he along with 5 other HRDs, was picked up by the local police and tortured in the police station all night. The draconian Gunda Act was imposed on him by the police which he is fighting against in the court of law.

Details of the Incident: On June 05, 2021 around noon, some social workers including Mr. Kaleem Ansari submitted a peaceful memorandum against three farms law to the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Robertsganj. Following this, Mr. Ansari was going for his physio-therapy on his wheelchair with his daughter as an attendant. As he was about 200 metres away from the physiotherapy clinic, Mr. Yogendra Singh, in-charge police chowki Robertsganj police station, along with a few other policemen in uniform, stopped them near the municipality office and started slapping and assaulting Mr. Ansari. When his daughter tried to stop the policeman and asked him the reason for beating her father; Mr. Singh abused the HRD with slurs saying “langda bahut haraami hai” (the lame man is a Bas****); “bahut shor machata hai” (he makes a lot of noise); “Muslims-Dalits ke Hamdard bantey ho” (he is a sympathiser of Dalits and Muslims) etc. As Mr. Ansari’s daughter tried to stop the policemen, Mr. Singh he also slapped her, abused her verbally, grabbed her hair and pushed her down on the street. He forcibly climbed on the child’s body and snatched her mobile. After snatching their mobile the police left, leaving the disabled father and his minor daughter on the street. Beaten and shocked, Mr. Ansari and his daughter got up and went to the Ashirwad Physiotherapy Centre which was about 200 metres away and Mr. Ansari’s regular physiotherapy clinic. Around 2 pm, as Mr. Ansari was being given treatment in the physio-therapy clinic, several police jeeps stopped outside with 30-35 policemen along with circle officer, inspector and chowki in-charge. The policemen first turned off the CCTV cameras when they entered the clinic. Inside the clinic, Mr. Singh abused and slapped the minor daughter, at which Mr. Ansari protested and then 3-4 policewomen came inside and the SHO told them “maro isey” (beat her) to assault the child at which the policewomen slapped the child repeatedly. After that the policemen started punching and slapping Mr. Ansari and took both the father-daughter duo forcibly to Robertsganj police station in a police jeep without any due procedure or paperwork. In the jeep, they were abused further, and after reaching Robertsganj police station, they were taken to two separate rooms. In one room Mr. Ansari was beaten with kicks, punches, sticks and belts by 3-4 policemen including SHO and Mr. Singh. In the other room his daughter was also beaten. They were also given casteist, religious and lewd abuses by the policemen. Around 4 pm, Ms. Khatoon was released by the police; but between 4:30 pm to 6 pm Mr. Ansari was taken to the hospital for a cursory medical check-up, then taken to the magistrate and sent to Sonbhadra Central jail around 6 pm. The police did not inform his family or relatives nor did they give an arrest memo or FIR. On June 05, 2021, an F.I.R (274/21) was filed by Mr. Singh against Mr. Ansari, under IPC sections 332-Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty, 353-Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, 504-Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace, 506-Punishment for criminal intimidation, 427-Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees and 336-Act endangering life or personal safety of others. On June 09, 2021, Mr. Ansari was released from the prison. On September 22, 2021, Mr. Ansari, his wife and his minor daughter was sent a notice by the district administration under IPC 107/16 to give reason as to why they should not be made to submit a bond of 1 lakh each for provoking breach of peace. Mr. Ansari objected to the notice and wrote a rejoinder to it. On October 15, 16, 18, 2021, Mr. Ansari was again house arrested in his home by the local police, as the farmers agitation peaked.