COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT INDIA 12 AUGUST 2008 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE INDIA 12 AUGUST 2008 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN INDIA FROM 15 JULY – 12 AUGUST 2008 REPORTS ON INDIA PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 15 JULY AND 12 AUGUST 2008 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY .............................................................................................1.01 Map...............................................................................................1.07 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................2.01 3. HISTORY ..................................................................................................3.01 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ............................................................................. 4. 01 5. CONSTITUTION ...........................................................................................5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM .....................................................................................6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................7.01 UN Conventions ........................................................................... 7.05 8. SECURITY SITUATION ..................................................................................8.01 9. SECURITY FORCES .....................................................................................9.01 Police............................................................................................9.01 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).......................................9.03 Arbitrary Arrest and Detention...................................................9.05 Torture.......................................................................................9.08 Extra-Judicial Killings................................................................9.14 Impunity.....................................................................................9.16 Armed Forces...............................................................................9.18 Arbitrary Arrest and Detention...................................................9.21 Torture.......................................................................................9.24 Extra-Judicial Killings................................................................9.25 Other Government Forces...........................................................9.28 Paramilitary forces.....................................................................9.28 Avenues of Complaint.................................................................9.30 National Human Rights Commission.........................................9.30 Human Rights Courts................................................................9.33 10. MILITARY SERVICE ...................................................................................10.01 11. ABUSES BY NON-GOVERNMENT ARMED FORCES ............................................11.01 Torture..........................................................................................11.04 12. JUDICIARY ..............................................................................................12.01 Organisation.................................................................................12.01 Supreme Court..........................................................................12.02 High Court.................................................................................12.03 Fast Track Courts......................................................................12.05 Lok Adalats...............................................................................12.07 Independence...............................................................................12.08 Witness protection.......................................................................12.10 ii This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 12 August 2008. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. INDIA 12 AUGUST 2008 Fair Trial........................................................................................12.12 Provision of legal aid.................................................................12.18 Penal Code...................................................................................12.19 Code of Criminal Procedure........................................................12.22 13. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS ...................................................13.01 Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).............................13.04 National Security Act.................................................................13.07 Prevention of Terrorism/Unlawful Activities Prevention Acts......13.08 JAMMU AND KASHMIR ............................................................................13.10 AFSPA......................................................................................13.10 Public Safety Act.......................................................................13.12 14. PRISON CONDITIONS .................................................................................14.01 15. DEATH PENALTY ......................................................................................15.01 16. POLITICAL AFFILIATION .............................................................................. 16. 01 Freedom of Political Expression.................................................16.01 Freedom of Association and Assembly.....................................16.02 Opposition Groups and Political Activists.................................16.03 Armed Opposition Groups..........................................................16.04 Jammu and Kashmir.................................................................16.05 Naxalites (Maoists)/Tribal Groups.............................................16.06 17. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ............................................................... 17.01 TREATMENT OF JOURNALISTS ..................................................................17.09 18. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ..........................18.01 19. CORRUPTION ...........................................................................................19.01 20. FREEDOM OF RELIGION .............................................................................20.01 Introduction..................................................................................20.01 Inter-religious marriages.............................................................20.06 Religious tension.........................................................................20.08 Religious conversions.................................................................20.15 Muslims........................................................................................20.23 Gujarat Riots 2002.......................................................................20.28 Christians.....................................................................................20.31 Sikhs and the Punjab...................................................................20.38 Sikh religion and historical background.....................................20.38 Militant violence in Punjab ......................................................... 20.45 Human rights concerns in Punjab..............................................20.48 Prosecution of security force personnel.....................................20.51 Punjab State Human Rights Commission..................................20.55 Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in Punjab (CCDP)......................................................................................20.58 Internal relocation for Sikhs.......................................................20.59 21. ETHNIC GROUPS ......................................................................................21.01 Dalits.............................................................................................21.05 22. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS .................................. 22. 01 Legal rights..................................................................................22.01 Societal and Government attitudes............................................22.02 Lesbians.......................................................................................22.08 Transsexual/transgender groups...............................................22.11 Groups in support of the LGBT community..............................22.14 23. DISABILITY .............................................................................................23.01 24. WOMEN .................................................................................................24.01 Overview.......................................................................................24.02 Socio-economic indicators.........................................................24.08 Legal Rights.................................................................................24.10 Political Rights.............................................................................24.13 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 12 August 2008. iii Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not