Independent Chennai Journalist Sandhya Ravishankar Harassed and Intimidated After Exposing Sand Mafia
Ravishankar says she has “strong reason to believe that the police is colluding with the mining mafia.”
Independent investigative journalist Sandhya Ravishankar filed a complaint against unidentified persons for harassing and intimidating her, once again. This is her sixth complaint lodged with the Chennai police since 2017.
According to reports, Ravishankar faced harassment, stalking and violation of privacy multiple times, after her four-part exposé on the sand mafia last year.
Ravishankar gave details of the recent instance of harassment on her Twitter handle. On Thursday morning, she found that the petrol tube of her bike was cut. Initially, she thought it was a petty case of petrol theft but then, her fuel tank was still full.
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Ravishankar checked the CCTV footage from the previous night and saw that two persons stopped at her house at 11:43 pm on Wednesday. The men – wearing helmets – were seen fiddling with Ravishankar’s bike. They left after a few minutes but arrivedagain at 11:51 pm and approached her bike once more.
In August this year, Ravishankar had filed a case with the commissioner of police after an online portal called ‘Savukku’ released CCTV footage of her meeting with former DGP Ramanujam in March 2017 at a cafe in Chennai.
After she confronted the owner of the cafe, she was told that footage is only downloaded at the request of the police.
“It is therefore evident that Savukku has received the CCTV footage from the police… I have strong reason to believe that a senior police officer is colluding with the mining mafia in order to follow me, film and photograph me,” she said in her complaint. She added that the police officer was targeting her at the “behest of the powerful beach sand miners in the state”
Two days after I filed a police complaint with the CoP on my privacy being violated and harassment being meted out, a strange incident occurs. On 27.09.2018 I went to start my bike to head to work. I found the petrol tube was cut. Initial thought was “petrol thief”. pic.twitter.com/YescYv7KlZ
— Sandhya Ravishankar (@sandhyaravishan) September 28, 2018
But then I saw that the tank was full – filled to the brim, as I had filled it that day. No petrol had gone missing. So it was not a case of petrol theft.
Upon checking CCTV footage, I found that 2 unidentified men on a bike had arrived at 23:43:40. pic.twitter.com/KB4Hpz593C— Sandhya Ravishankar (@sandhyaravishan) September 28, 2018
The rider wore a helmet and they had a bottle in hand. They tore up a cloth, did something with the bottle, then went to my bike and did something to it. They left at 23:45:05. That was not the end though. pic.twitter.com/eMXRaT6DGi
— Sandhya Ravishankar (@sandhyaravishan) September 28, 2018
They returned about 5 minutes later and do something near my bike again. They finally leave at 23:51:22. pic.twitter.com/T6a2ArB6c7
— Sandhya Ravishankar (@sandhyaravishan) September 28, 2018
CoP adviced me to file a complaint on the same with my local PS. I have done that. Police have been kind enough to increase patrolling in my street since. They are also investigating the case. Here is a copy of the complaint letter. pic.twitter.com/bQmZLE9Bxa
— Sandhya Ravishankar (@sandhyaravishan) September 28, 2018
A Shankar, who was suspended from the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), began the blog ‘Savukku’. Ravishankar said Shankar has been alleging in his blogs that she has taken money from political parties. “This is the same thing the miners have been alleging too. How is it that he is saying the same thing?” asked Ravishankar.
The local police have now stationed two police officers outside Ravishankar’s house and increased patrolling on her street.
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