Santosh Yadav
Santosh Yadav is a human rights defender and journalist who gathers information on human rights abuses for a number of Hindi newspapers. He is based in South Bastar, a rural district in Central India, which is known for its clashes between rebels and state authorities. Santosh Yadav has been repeatedly targeted by local authorities for his close work with villagers, and falsely accused of connections to the radical and violent movement linked to the Communist party, known as Maoists or Naxals.
Police officials are often the perpetrators of violence against HRDs, usually with impunity. While human rights bodies exist both at the national and at the state levels, human rights defenders expressed strong criticism at their work and effectiveness. Investigations carried out by the National Human Rights Commission and the State Human Rights Commissions (SHRCs) are often either inadequate or extremely delayed.
