Gujarat human rights activist Cedric Prakash's office burgled mysteriously; aim: to look for PC data

Prakash being conferred French award for contribution in human rights

By A Representative
In an unusual development, senior Gujarat-based human rights activist Father Cedric Prakash’s office was burgled on the night between October 7 and 8, 2014, and those who broke in took with them only his desktop personal computer, a hard disk, the keyboard with all connections meticulously cut. In a statement, Prakash said, “The intruders seemed to have moved around in several places of the office (some footprints evidence this) but were careful not to have disturbed /upset anything else.”
Prakash said that while he suspected something fishy, he did not want to make the burglary an issue. “We had no intention to go to the media on this; but since last night some media have been calling us – since they seem to have received news of this incident from some ‘police source’; that is why this statement”, he added.
Yet, according to Prakash, “What is obvious that what took place in Prashant on the night of October 7-8 was no ordinary theft. It was meticulously planned and executed apparently by professionals or with the help of some. The sole aim was obviously to get the data which was on my PC. It is common knowledge that since we are a Centre for Human Rights Justice and Peace, we have been taking an equivocal stand on human rights and justice very specially on critical issues affecting the minorities, the poor and the marginalized of Gujarat”.
Prakash, a close associate of well-known human rights campaigner Teesta Setalvad, has been in forefront in the fight for the 2002 Gujarat communal riot victims. His office became famous after young BJP leader Haren Pandya, pitted against then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, deposed before an independent commission of inquiry. Speaking in camera, Pandya, who was slain in March 2013 mysteriously, blamed Modi for giving instructions to Gujarat top-cops to remain indifferent during the early days of riots.
In 2006, Prakash won the prestigious Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, one of the highest French civilian awards, acknowledging his commitment to human rights. Championing the rights of vulnerable sections, and a campaigner against Gujarat’s anti-conversion law, Prakash invited the ire of Goa chief minister Manahar Parrikar ahead of Lok Sabha polls for his address before Christians suggesting how Gujarat model was fake. Parrikar publicly wondered why was Prakash was in Goa.
Notably, lack of religious freedom in Gujarat was one of the reasons, along with complicity in communal riots, cited by the US government to deny visa to Modi in 2005. Modi's visa ban was automatically lifted following he becoming the Prime Minister of India in May 2014.
In his statement, Prakash said what seemed to surprise him was those who burgled hisoffice did not even take away “some cash, in a drawer which was opened, which could have easily tempted an ordinary burglar.” The burglary of the NGO office he heads, Prashant, on Drive-In Road in Ahmedabad, took place when he was away. “On October 6-7, 2014, I was in Bombay to participate in some important meetings and programmes”, he said.
On returning to Ahmedabad by a very early flight, Prakash said, he first went to the office building of Prashant before going to his residence, which is just behind on the same campus. “I opened the Centre, went into my cabin and was about to start the computer, when I realized that my desktop computer was missing”, he said.
“I was rather alarmed when I simultaneously noticed that the back door of our Centre (which is adjacent to my cabin) was broken open with a bed sheet just lying on the steps below. I called my Jesuit companions and telephoned some of my office colleagues immediately and also called the police emergency number 100 to register a complaint”, he said.
“In a matter of minutes, the police arrived and they were there for most of the day till almost 4.30 pm. In between, they had called in the dog squad, the forensic and the finger-print experts. Besides, the routine inquiry was done with me and with my colleagues. An FIR dated October 8, 2014 was filed with the Ghatlodia Police Station, Ahmedabad”, Prakash said.

Comments

Former civil servants raise alarm over conflict of interest in Supreme Court's forest advisory panel

By A Representative In a strongly worded open letter to the Chief Justice of India, 60 retired senior civil servants from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and other central services have raised serious concerns over what they term a “conflict of interest” in the current composition of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), tasked with advising the Court in forest and environmental matters. The signatories, all part of the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), expressed grave apprehension that the CEC—now comprising entirely of recently retired officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC)—may lack impartiality in ongoing litigation, particularly those challenging the Forest Conservation Amendment Act (FCAA), 2023.

Prof. Vidyut Joshi: Gujarat’s knowledge institutions have lost their soul, urgent reorientation needed

By A Representative In a thought-provoking column published in Sandesh , eminent sociologist and former Vice-Chancellor Prof. Vidyut Joshi has raised urgent concerns over the erosion of intellectual autonomy and social relevance in Gujarat’s leading research and academic institutions. Building on insights from the recent paper Secret of Creating High Performing Knowledge Institutions by development economist Prof. Tushaar Shah, Joshi paints a stark picture of institutions that have strayed far from their foundational vision.

Remembering Vasant and Rajab: The forgotten martyrs who died to protect India’s soul from communal hatred

By Hidayat Parmar How much do we truly know about the real history of Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s royal city? July 1st marks a date that shines a light on two of its noblest sons—Vasant and Rajab—whose legacy lives on as a powerful reminder of secular unity and fearless sacrifice.

Top civil rights leader announces plan to lead delegation to Pakistan amidst post-war tensions

By A Representative In a significant move, well-known academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey has announced the plan to send a 22-member delegation to Pakistan to engage in dialogue with its government and civil society. The delegation proposed to go to Pakistan under the banner of Socialist Party (India) as a fact-finding mission to help seek solution to continuing tensions between the two countries over the fallout of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Global recognition at UNHRC: A breakthrough for communities discriminated on work and descent

By Amit Kumar, Naveen Gautam* In a historic moment for global human rights, the 59th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council opened with a powerful acknowledgment of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD)—groups affected by caste-like systems of exclusion, marginalization, and inherited inequality. This recognition was delivered by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk during his global human rights update, signaling a major shift in international discourse.

Climate action in rural India can go hand in hand with sustainable livelihoods: NGO shows the way

By Bharat Dogra Mobilizing an adequate response to climate change is often seen as an expensive task and then there is a lot of talk about who’ll bear the burden. However in rural areas both climate mitigation and adaptation can be integrated well with the promotion of sustainable rural livelihoods and in such conditions people become very supportive towards it. In such conditions climate response can progress much more smoothly without becoming burdensome.

J&K's Mallabuchan villagers symbolically cut Off pipeline in protest against ‘water injustice’

By A Representative In a striking act of peaceful protest, residents of Mallabuchan village in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district symbolically disconnected the Ahmadpora-Tangmarg water pipeline on Thursday, denouncing decades of official neglect and violation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) norms.

Organic food stakeholders oppose FSSAI's proposed regulatory changes, warn against undermining small farmers, safe food movement

By A Representative Over 130 signatories representing India’s organic farming community have submitted a strongly worded letter to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), objecting to key proposals discussed at a hybrid meeting held by the authority on May 7, 2025. The meeting, convened to review the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations 2017, reportedly considered drastic amendments that stakeholders claim will harm small producers and the broader movement for agroecological food systems.

A healthier model for goat-based livelihoods in remote Madhya Pradesh villages

By Bharat Dogra While buffaloes and cows often receive greater attention in animal husbandry-related government development schemes, goats remain vital for poorer households. Therefore, enhancing goat-based livelihoods is especially important for marginalized communities—particularly when such efforts reduce villagers' costs and lower goat mortality rates. One promising strategy involves training local villagers, especially women, to provide essential veterinary services. A welcome byproduct of this is that several women gain a respected source of income within their own villages.

Search This Blog