Six years after the murder of land rights activist, Navleen Kumar, there was still no trial at the special court in Thane.  In 2007, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed an application under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) to arrest the gangster who ordered the killing of the activist.

Local groups are waiting for the court permit to arrest Manik Patil under MCOCA to complete the investigation, before it can move to the next stage of trial.   The police officer pointed out that the arrest of the jailed gangster under MCOCA is crucial to the case because he suspected that Navleen’s murder was part of a larger criminal conspiracy.

In response to the brutal killing of Navleen Kumar in 2002, Hotline Asia issued UA020711(7) in July to request authorities to expedite investigations in the case, charge the culprits and ensure protection of all activists working for land rights of Adivasi/tribals.


Source:
Hindustan Times
Local source

Five years ago on 19 June 2002, Ms. Navleen Kumar, who worked for the land rights of adivasis/tribals in Nallasopara, outskirts of Mumbai was stabbed to death on the terrace of her flat. She had been fighting against "builders and land mafia" who had been usurping tribal land by terror, force and fraud over the last 20-25 years, to restore the land rights to the tribals - the original owners. Activists expressed their outrage over the murder of Navleen locally, and in July 2002, Hotline Asia issued UA020711(7) to request the authorities to expedite the investigation and to assure protection for her family, as well as all activist involved in land rights of Adivasis.

On the fifth anniversary of her death, the trial to bring the accused six men and one woman has yet to begin in a Special court in Thane designated to try crimes under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Although officers from the Crime Investigation Department (CID) filed a charge sheet in the court eight months before, the charges are not yet formally pronounced in the court.

While inquiring into the delay, Thane’s Assistant Public Prosecutor, Sanjay Lodhe could only say: “We hope it will begin soon. Investigation took a lot of time.” It was also commented that the forces behind the murder are so powerful and politically connected that it reduces the chance of securing a conviction each day of delay.

Citing delays by the prosecution, MCOCA judge N. Deshmukh already granted bail to one of the three surviving assailants in March 2006.

Moreover, the CID Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jaichandra Kathe, the officer handling the case for much of the past five years was transferred last month, with no one posted in his place. He remarked that the delay was due to the accused going for appeal which wasted a lot of time.

Meanwhile, Navleen’s son commented on the lack of interest in his mother’s case, citing his plea in September 2006 to appoint a special prosecutor to argue the case which was not responded to.

Source:
Times of India
Hindustan Times

The local Superintendent of Police informed the local source that the murder case of of land rights activist, Ms. Navleen Kumar has come up in the fast track court, which was set up to identify certain cases that required immediate intervention from among the vast backlog of cases.

Three key witnesses to the case have been identified. A lawyer practicing in the high court has agreed to prepare the witnesses for cross examination. Another locally based lawyer could also be asked to help document and make a report of all the court proceedings on the case. However, local sources are concerned of the risk and threat to the livelihood of the witnesses if they come up in the witness stand, as they are all in some way working on the premises of those guilty of the crime. Their rehabilitation would be a challenge for the case.

Ms. Navleen Kumar, a land rights activist who has been defending the tibals against a network of developers, builders, bureaucrats, politicians and criminal elements, over the last 25 years, was murdered in June 2002. Hotline Asia issued UA020711(7) to urge authorities to expedite investigations into the murder, and to extend protection to all activists fighting for justice for the minorities and the powerless.

Source:
Hotline India-Mumbai

The Action Committee Against Terrorism organized a meeting to commemorate the first anniversary of the murder of tribal activist, Ms Navleen Kumar. The event attracted youth and street children, women in distress, tribals, and many local activists and priests from several institutions with whom Navleen had associated. They paid their respect to the departed leader who had inspired them with her great courage and determination.

However, Navleen's family and members of the Action Committee against Terrorism are not satisfied with the investigations into her murder so far. They believe that the real culprits still at large and that those who were arrested last January are only stooges.

Hotline issued UA020711(7) in June 2002 to urge authorities to expedite investigations into the murder, and to extend protection to all activists fighting for justice minorities and powerless.

Source:
Hotline India-Mumbai

In January 2003, Navleen Kumar, land rights activist who was murdered in June 2002, was posthumously awarded a sum of Rupees One Lakh (100,000) or US$2098 conferred by Public Concern for Governance Trust given annually to a person who fights injustice and exploitation.

On the same day of the award, the crime branch announced that they had arrested her killer and an accomplice. It was reported that the assailants, who monitored Navleen's routine movements for 19 days before the killng, will be handed over to the state CID joint commissioner of police.

Source:
Hotline India-Mumbai