India: environmental defender severely beaten up
Event- Country
- India
- Initial Date
- May 4, 2022
- Event Description
About the Human Rights Defender: Mr. B. Tamilselvan (38), hails from Chennimalai, a remote area in Erode District, Tamil Nadu. He is an environmental rights activist who has been working against illegal stone quarrying causing degradation to the environment in Ekkadampalayam, Chennimalai area. He runs an internet browsing centre.
Background of the Incident: On May 01, 2022, Mr. B. Tamilselvan he spoke about the illegal stone quarrying in the Ekkadampalayam grama sabha meeting and was instrumental in bringing a resolution to close the illegal quarries. The quarry owners who were also present in the meeting protested against the resolution. Later the quarry owners, namely V. Mohan S/o. P. Venkadachalam – AVM Blue Metals, K. Gowtham S/o. Kumarasamy – CKG Blue Metals; P. Mahendren S/o. V.K. Palanisamy; Periyanayaki Amman Blue metals; and P. Gopalakrishnan S/o. Palanisamy Gounder – Selvanayaki Amman Blue Metals threatened to kill Mr. Tamilselvan by beating him with an iron rod.
Details of the Incident: On 04 May 2022, Mr. B. Tamilselvan was at his internet browsing centre, when two unidentified men came in his shop and started hitting him with iron rods. A blow fell on his head and shoulders and caused him severe injuries. The other assaulter stopped Mr. Tamilselvan from escaping and hit him with a rod which fell on the glass cupboard, shattering it into pieces. The customers present in the centre ran out in fear. The staff pleaded with the assaulters to leave Mr. Tamilselvan alone but both the assaulters continued to beat him with the rods until he locked himself inside a room. Before leaving, the assaulters shouted and threatened Mr. Tamilselvan that they will not rest until they eliminate him. Mr. Tamilselvan was then admitted at L.K.M hospital in Chennimalai from May 04-May 07, 2022 and the hospital intimated the Chennimalai Police. On May 05, 2022, an FIR (No. 132 of 2022) was registered in Chennimalai Police Station, against unidentified people, under sections 448 (Punishment for house- trespass), 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 427 (Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 506(ii) – (attempt to commit offences) of IPC.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Gender of HRD
- Man
- Violation
- Violence (physical)
- Wounds and Injuries
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of expression
- Offline
- Right to healthy and safe environment
- Freedom of expression
- HRD
- Environmental rights defender
- Perpetrator-Non-State
- Suspected non-state
- Source
Case shared by FORUM-ASIA member People's Watch
- Monitoring Status
- Pending
- Event Location
Latitude: 11.163942171477947
Longitude: 77.60319125659043
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 4 May 2022, Mr. Tamilselvan, environmental defender, was severely beaten by unidentified men days after speaking up against a quarry mining project and calling fora resolution to stop its activities in Chennimalai, India.