SC orders independent medical examination of naxal suspect Sori

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has directed the Chhattisgarh government to have an independent medical examination conducted on tribal teacher Soni Sori, who has alleged that she was tortured by the police on suspicion that she was a Maoist sympathiser.

The court said it suspected injuries suffered by her did not prima facie look simple as claimed by the Chhattisgarh government. A special bench comprising Justice Altamas Kabir, Justice HL Dattu and Justice CK Prasad asked the state government to get her medical examination done in NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The court asked the hospital to submit her medical report to it by November 15. Earlier, state government counsel Atul Jha said the government had no objection to her medical examination outside the state. The court had asked the state government to name any convenient city where Sori could be taken for a medical test.

The state proposed Kolkata, Nagpur and Bengaluru. Representing Sori, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves told the apex court that the state government had falsely implicated her in a number of cases by linking her to Maoist activities. Sori has been accused of receiving protection money from the Essar group.

She was arrested on October 4 in South Delhi by a Chhattisgarh police team and taken to Dantewada for interrogation. Essar has denied giving funds to Maoists.