Citizens for Justice and Peace
ARUN FERREIRA
Arun Ferreira, a courageous human rights defender, started his journey when he organised canteen workers, while he was at college, to demand better working conditions. He was instrumental in relocating slum-dwellers from Colaba to Goregaon (both in Mumbai). Targetting him for his social work, he has repeatedly been Behind Bars under fraudulent charges and has suffered torture while in jail. He compiled his experiences in his book Colours of the Cage.
Charges
Sections 121 (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section 121), 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 505(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief), 117 (abetting commission of offence by the public or by more than ten persons) and 120B (criminal conspiracy), read with 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and under Sections 13 (punishment for unlawful activities), 16 (punishment for terrorist act), 17 (punishment for raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (punishment for conspiracy etc.), 18B (punishment for recruiting of any person or persons for terrorist act), 20 (punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation), 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation), 39 (offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation) and 40 (offence of raising fund for a terrorist organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA).