Posted on 2010/06/09 Human rights defenders Messrs Srivinas Sattaya Kurapati ('Kishore'), Avinash Kulkarni and Bharat Pawar remain in detention in Gujarat, India, as part of an apparent campaign of judicial harassment against human rights defenders in the region. Further Information Srivinas Sattaya Kurapati is an employee of Darshan, an NGO based in Ahmedabad which promotes socio-political awareness through theatre and cultural activism. Avinash Kulkarni and Bharat Pawar are both members of Adivasi Mahasabha Gujarat, a non-governmental organisation which works for the empowerment and development of Adivasis in the state. On 30 May 2010 human rights defender Srivinas Sattaya Kurapati was arrested by police in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on accusations of involvement in Maoist activities. On the same night, his wife Ms Hansa Kurapati, and Mr Amritbhai Vaghela, a cultural activist and founder of the Lok Kala Manch organisation, were ordered to report to the Crime Branch police station at Gaekwad Havel, where they were detained for questioning and subsequently released on the night of 2 June 2010. It is reported that all three human rights defenders were denied access to a lawyer and family members while in detention. An apparent attempt to stigmatise Srivinas Sattaya Kurapati followed his arrest. According to Front Line's sources, media in the region subsequently broadcast the police's accusations against Srivinas Sattaya Kurapati, reportedly describing him as the "mastermind" of a Maoist strategy in Gujarat and linking him to the Jhargram railway sabotage. The arrests come as part of an apparent campaign of police harassment against Darshan. On the evening of 31 May 2010, Hiren Gandhi, the director of Darshan, was summoned to the office of the Crime Branch in Ahmedabad; however, he was advised not to attend any such meeting in the absence of a formal summons and without legal representation. Furthermore, on 31 May 2010, a raid was carried out on the offices of Darshan by officers of the Crime Branch, in which the organisation's computer was confiscated. The computer was returned to Darshan on 4 June 2010. The arrests have been linked to that of Avinash Kulkarni, a prominent Adivasi rights defender of the Adivasi Mahasabha organisation, who was arrested on 22 May 2010 in Aha, in the Dangs district of Gujarat, and remains in detention charged, inter alia, with "fomenting Maoism" and "waging war against the nation". Some days later, fellow Adivasi Mahasabha member Bharat Pawar was also arrested on the same charges and remains in detention. Front Line believes that the arrests and detention of Srivinas Sattaya Kurapati, Avinash Kulkarni and Bharat Pawar are a direct result of their legitimate work in defence of human rights. Action Finished: This Urgent Appeal has now ended. No further action is requested at this point. Thank you for taking action on this case. Front Line issues Urgent Appeals on behalf of human rights defenders at risk on a daily basis. These Appeals normally remain active on our web site for a period of up to six weeks, depending on the situation. After this time they will be archived. Front Line maintains a watching brief on all these cases but no further action is requested after the six weeks, unless there is a significant development in the case.