“HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST MR.HENRI TIPHAGNE ARRESTED”
- One more atrocity of Mr. Prem Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Cuddalore

It is very unfortunate to inform you that Mr. Henri Tiphagne, The Executive Director of PEOPLES WATCH – TAMIL NADU and Member, National Core group on NGOs of National Human Rights Commission has been arrested along with 15 other members including Mr. Nizamudeen, State General Secretary of FEDCOT, Mr. Balki, Mr.Murugappan, Peoples Watch-TN and a women, at Cuddalore this morning (11.10.2004) around 10.00 a.m.

Mr. Henri Tiphagne along with a Team of Human Rights Activists has camped at Cuddalore to conduct a Human Rights training program of Campaign Against Torture ( CAT), in the forenoon to be followed by a Press meet about the ever long human rights violations of Mr. Prem Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Cuddalore. When the training was about to start by 9.30 this morning, a group of police men headed by a Dy. Superintendent of Police Mr. Payas Ferozkhan Abdullah have forcefully entered the training hall and tried preventing Mr. Henri Tiphagne and others from conducting the training. When they were asked for reasons, the police men told that the press -meet should not be conducted. Mr. Henri Tiphagne explained them that this is only a training program and the press meet would be organized only in the afternoon. Since the police men had clear orders from their Superintendent of Police Mr. Prem Kumar to prevent Mr. Henri Tiphagne from doing the Human Rights training and press-meet at Cuddalore, they all sat inside the training hall and prevented the Campaign people from doing their social responsibility. When Mr. Henri Tiphagne objected for the Police men preventing the Human Rights training program, the police men wanted Mr. Henri Tiphagne to cancel the program. Having left with no choice, Mr. Henri Tiphagne and his team has voiced slogans condemning the unlawful activities of the Police men. Reacting to this the police men warned Mr. Henri Tiphagne that he would be arrested. When Mr. Henri Tiphagne demanded for the Arrest warrant, the police men headed by the DSP, forcefully demonstrated physical excess on Mr. Henri Tiphagne and carried him to the Town Hall Police Station at Cuddalore.

It is obvious that this is a well planned and unlawful action initiated by Mr. Prem Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Cuddalore, in personal revenge on Mr. Henri Tiphagne. Mr. Henri Tiphagne was instrumental for getting Mr. Prem Kumar a conviction earlier and also made to pay a fine amount of Rs. 10,000 to Gandhi Museum, for violating the human rights in the case of an Ex-Army Subedhar Mr. Nallakaman, a resident of Vadipatti. It is also not out of place to mention that he was suspended by the Election Commission during the recent Parliamentary election.

This is the high time, everybody who have belief in HUMAN RIGHTS and RULE OF LAW must join together to secure the release of Mr. Henri Tiphagne and sought for appropriate action of the State on Mr. Prem Kumar.

- "Mr. Prem Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Cuddalore" - Henry
- Courtesy : PW, Madurai