Justice association supports Widow Bindoo Ramlogun against police torture and violence
23.01.2007
The association Justice, in which many Lalit militants are active, participated in two major events against police torture and violence.
The first one was a march and gathering in memory of Rajesh Ramlogun, tortured and killed when in police custody in January last year. This moving commemoration held in Lallmatie on Sunday 14 January, was organised by family and friends of the late Rajesh Ramlogun. A justice member, Lindsey Collen, was invited to speak in the ceremony.
The commemoration took the form of a procession in Lallmatie that began with a commemoration speech by Mr. Sookhee, widow Bindoo Ramlogun's brother-in-law. Not only did he emphasize the need for justice in the case of Rajesh Ramlogun: for the State to press charges, and prosecute the MCIT team in whose custody Rajesh Ramlogun was when he was tortured and killed, he also stressed the need for justice for all victims of police torture and violence. Lindsey Collen, member of the association Justice, and also of Lalit, explained why Justice supports the family's quest for justice in the case of Rajesh Ramlogun. She said that this quest forms part of a broader struggle to stop police torture and violence. Impunity must stop: police officers must be held directly accountable for their actions. The procession ended in Beau-Bois cemetery.
The second action was held in Port Louis on Tuesday 16 January. In the morning, Bindoo Ramlogun, relatives, friends and members of Justice were at the Supreme Court for her case asking for a judicial review of the DPP's decision to bring minor charges against some of the MCIT officers in whose custody Rajesh Ramlogun was when he was tortured and killed, that bear no direct relationship to Mr. Ramlogun's death, and to drop charges altogether against others in the same MCIT team.
After the court case, Widow Ramlogun and a delegation of family, friends, and Justice members, proceeded to the DPP's office to give him a letter demanding that the DPP take his responsibility to ensure justice for Rajesh Ramlogun. When she went into the DPP's office Bindoo Ramlogun was accompanied by her brother in law, Mr. Sookhee and Justice members Veronique Topize (widow of famous artist Kaya who died in police custody in 1999) and Lindsey Collen.
