On the morning of February 27, Raghu Midiyami, former president of the Moolwasi Bachao Manch (MBM), was on his way to seek medical treatment in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. Just days earlier, he had suffered a serious motorbike accident, sustaining multiple injuries—deep lacerations on his thighs and neck, trauma to both legs, and a crushed finger on his left hand. But instead of reaching the hospital, Raghu was picked up by police officials, “detained without explanation” and handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
His arrest was later linked to a terror funding case under FIR RC-02/2023/NIA/RPR, a case originally registered by the Chhattisgarh government on 24 August 2023, registered in Raipur. Though the First Information Report does not name Raghu, the agency later alleged he was a key figure in the distribution of funds to CPI (Maoist)-linked protests.
Over the next forty days, Raghu’s medical condition worsened. Human rights groups have said that he was denied basic healthcare in Jagdalpur prison, despite repeated recommendations from hospital staff and court orders for treatment. On April 9, the NIA was granted seven days of custody. Raghu was transferred to Raipur for interrogation—still bearing visibly infected wounds, untreated abrasions, and a crushed finger requiring surgical intervention.
In a statement on 13 April 2025, Campaign for Peace and Justice, a civil rights body in Chhattisgarh, raising concern over Raghu’s worsening health condition, expressed that “Raghu, currently incarcerated in Jagdalpur prison in a fabricated case—has now been sent to NIA custody for seven days, forty days after his arrest”. “This transfer has taken place despite his ongoing medical condition and the continued denial of adequate treatment”, it further added.
This correspondent accessed the FIR, which cites charges under Sections 8(1), 8(3), and 8(5) of the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005, as well as Sections 10 and 13(1) & (2) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
In a press statement, the agency stated that the arrest was made under an FIR registered by the Chhattisgarh Government in 2023, which was later taken over by the NIA in February 2024. According to the statement, two individuals had been arrested and chargesheeted in November 2023, with the agency alleging that they were Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of the Moolwasi Bachao Manch. The statement also mentioned the recovery of ₹6 lakh in cash from them. However, the FIR did not name Raghu Midiyami.
Furthermore, the statement alleged that Raghu Midiyami was the Nodal person responsible for distribution of the funds at the local level for staging and sustaining CPI (Maoist) led protests.
Arrest followed a ban on peaceful protests and demands for constitutional rights
Raghu Midiyami’s arrest followed the banning of the Moolwasi Bachao Manch on October 30, 2024, by the Chhattisgarh Home Ministry. In a circular, the ministry alleged that the organization was opposing “development” and military camps in the region. The ban was imposed under Section 3 of the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2005 (CSPSA).
The Moolwasi Bachao Manch was an umbrella organization formed by Adivasi peasants to demand the implementation of Panchayat (Extension to scheduled areas) Act, 1996 and the Fifth Schedule, an end to mining activities and displacement, the cessation of mass killings by security forces, and the rampant militarization of Bastar.
The state government’s order banning the Moolwasi Bachao Manch does not mention any links to the CPI (Maoist), instead labeling it an “anti-development” organization.
However, in its statement, the NIA has linked the group to the Maoist party.
The Moolwasi Bachao Manch gained national attention in 2021 for leading mass protests against the establishment of police camps in Silger, citing violations of the PESA Act, 1996, and the absence of Gram Sabha consent. The protests intensified after CRPF personnel opened fire on May 17, 2021, killing four Adivasi villagers, including a pregnant woman.
On November 8, 2024, six MBM members—Arjun Soni, Muya Hemla, Nagesh Banse, Joga Midiyam, Gillu Katam, and Bhima Kunjam—were also arrested and jailed.
Following the ban on the Moolwasi Bachao Manch, the police crackdown intensified leading to the arrests of several Adivasis, who have been demanding the implementation of PESA. On November 21, the police arrested 5 Adivasis, members of the Moolwasi Bachao Manch from a protest site in Tadmetla.
The Moolwasi Bachao Manch, in a statement, alleged that Chintalnar police arrested Madkam Ramesh, Rawa Joga, Bogam Rama, and two others, also seizing their staples, including rice and vegetables. The protest demands an investigation into fake encounters of Adivasis by security forces, they said. However, the police labeled the arrested individuals as Maoists to justify their detention, the statement said.
Several human rights groups condemned Raghu’s arrest, calling it an attempt to clear obstacles for mining. In a statement condemning the arrest of Raghu, FACAM stated that “it is pertinent to mention that Raghu is not a named accused in the FIR and has been frivolously roped in more than 1 years later after the filing of the bogus FIR. He has had a serious motorcycle accident a week ago and is in a bad medical condition, which makes this sudden and unwarranted arrest even more troublesome”.
“Moolwasi Bachao Manch (MBM), a grassroots Adivasi platform formed in 2021 in response to state violence and displacement in South Bastar. The organisation campaigned for the implementation of constitutional safeguards such as PESA and FRA, and played a central role in peaceful, locally organised mass protests across the region”, the statement by Campaign for Peace and Justice noted.
The state’s decision to ban MBM, according to the Campaign for Peace and Justice, reflects “a punitive attempt to dismantle democratic dissent in Bastar.” Following the order, Raghu—acting on behalf of the group—submitted a letter to the state government questioning the rationale behind the ban. In the same letter, he formally notified the authorities of MBM’s immediate dissolution and clearly stated the organisation’s intention to pursue legal remedies. Yet despite the group ceasing all activity under the MBM poster, former members began to face “systematic reprisals for their past participation,” the campaign noted.
Held for 41 Days Without Urgent Medical Care, Then Sent for Interrogation
When Raghu Midiyami was first produced before the Magistrate shortly after his arrest, the court was informed of his injuries. The Magistrate directed jail authorities to report on his medical condition and ensure that he received appropriate treatment. But the follow-up appears to have been neither timely nor adequate. Over the following weeks, his condition visibly worsened: the wound on his leg became infected and swollen, and his crushed finger—still requiring surgical intervention—was left untreated. Only superficial dressings were applied.
On 25 March 2025, almost a month after his arrest, the NIA moved an application seeking ten days of custody, claiming that remand had not been sought earlier due to Raghu’s injuries, but now he was medically fit. The assertion, however, did not match his condition.
In a statement, the Campaign for Peace and Justice questioned this claim, calling it “not only inaccurate—given his still-visible injuries—but also deeply questionable.” The NIA’s justification for seeking remand, the group pointed out, relied less on evidence and more on Raghu’s past political associations: “Besides being a Maoist supporter, he is also the President of the Moolwasi Bachao Manch Bastar Division,” the agency wrote, further asserting that since the organisation had been banned by the Chhattisgarh government, “the accused’s dangerous nature is automatically indicated.”
“This reasoning is as dangerous as it is absurd,” the CPJ statement responded. “It rests not on evidence or criminal conduct, but on Raghu’s past leadership of a peaceful, now-dissolved organisation. It collapses the distinction between dissent and criminality and retroactively transforms lawful political participation into grounds for state persecution.”
On 27 March, two days after the NIA filed for remand, doctors at Dimrapal Hospital informed Raghu that the infected tissue on his foot required surgical cleaning and stitching. Yet this recommendation, too, was ignored. As of 29 March, the wound remained visibly infected, with pus still oozing. By 7 April, he had still not received even the most basic topical ointment prescribed for painful abrasions on his neck. The heat and humidity worsened the discomfort, as his untreated injuries continued to burn and irritate.
Despite this, on 9 April—forty-one days after his arrest—the NIA Special Court in Jagdalpur granted the agency seven days of custody. Raghu was transferred to Raipur for interrogation.
“The decision to proceed with custodial interrogation despite his evident poor health and untreated injuries is medically unsound, ethically indefensible, legally questionable, and indicative of deeply troubling state priorities and practices,” said the Campaign for Peace and Justice.
His leg remains infected. His hand is still injured. Medical care has been consistently denied. “Instead of ensuring urgent treatment, both the state and the court have shown a disturbing readiness to subordinate health and due process to the imperatives of investigation,” the group warned.
“The continued denial of adequate care significantly increases the risk of long-term harm. We reiterate our serious concern and call for the immediate provision of appropriate and sustained medical care to Raghu Midiyami,” the statement said, reiterating that “the fabricated case against him must be withdrawn, and he must be released from custody without delay”.
(Syed Affan is a journalist based in Delhi. His reportage focuses on Human rights, land conflicts, and policy)
