On 22 September 2026, PVCHR conducted a Folk School in an affected rural community in Chandौली District, Uttar Pradesh, following reported police and administrative action in the area.

The Folk School was facilitated by Pintu, who engaged with affected families and community members to document their experiences, concerns and immediate needs. The methodology was based on participatory dialogue, enabling community members to describe the consequences of the incident in their own words and collectively identify issues requiring further attention.

The exercise forms part of PVCHR's broader approach to participatory human rights documentation, in which community testimony is combined with field observation and subsequent verification of available documentary and material evidence.

This report records the information shared during the field visit. The allegations described herein are community testimonies and have not, at this stage, been independently adjudicated or legally established.

2. Objectives

The Folk School was undertaken with the following objectives:

To create a participatory space for affected community members to articulate their experiences.
To document reported consequences of the police and administrative action.
To identify damage to housing, household property and livelihood assets.
To document reported impacts on agriculture and livestock.
To record allegations concerning women, children and detained persons.
To identify immediate humanitarian, legal and psychosocial needs.
To facilitate awareness of rights and available institutional and legal mechanisms.
To identify areas requiring further investigation, verification and follow-up.

3. Methodological Approach

The Folk School employed a qualitative, participatory and community-centred methodology.

Rather than treating community members solely as respondents, the process encouraged them to collectively identify and analyse the problems affecting their households and community.

The discussion covered:

experiences during and after the reported operation;
housing and property damage;
agricultural and livestock losses;
livelihood disruption;
access and mobility;
arrests and detention;
allegations of violence against women and children;
alleged treatment in custody;
psychological and social consequences; and
immediate needs and possible remedies.

Field observations and photographic documentation were also undertaken.

For academic and human rights purposes, distinctions are maintained between direct observation, community testimony and matters requiring independent verification.

4. Context of the Reported Incident

According to information shared by community members, a substantial police and administrative operation took place in the area on 22 September 2026.

Community members reported the presence of approximately 18–20 police vehicles and an estimated 500 police personnel. They stated that personnel from different police and administrative units were involved, including the local police administration, senior police officials, Forest Department, Revenue Department and police personnel from different stations in Chandौली District.

Community members further reported that an FIR had been registered against approximately 20 named persons and 40 unidentified persons. They stated that serious criminal provisions, including a provision corresponding to Section 307, as well as provisions relating to obstruction of public officials, had been invoked.

The exact provisions should be verified against the certified FIR and relevant court records.

The community reported that approximately 14 persons were arrested or taken into custody, including women and men.

5. Reported Arrests

During the Folk School, community members provided the following names of persons reportedly arrested or taken into custody:

Chauka Bar
Bila Ramdev Gaur
Shin/Shiv Kumari Gaur, approximately 50 years
Lalta Jod
Phulammati
Charan Gaur
Phulwanti
Saurabh Gaur
Lalti
Sukhdev Gaur
Bharita
Ganga Pal
Gulab Vidyarthi
Sham Adhar Gaur

The names and spellings should be cross-checked with official arrest records, FIR documents, court records and statements of family members before being used for formal legal submissions.

6. Gender and Child-Related Concerns

One of the significant concerns emerging from the community discussion related to allegations concerning women and minor girls.

Community members reported that some women and minor girls were allegedly subjected to physical assault during the police action. The names mentioned during the discussion included:

Kavita
Sarita Devi
Bhagwati
Bharti
Kalawati
Binti Devi

According to the testimonies shared, some of the affected women and girls were allegedly taken or brought back to their homes at approximately midnight.

Given the seriousness and sensitivity of these allegations, further documentation should follow a survivor-centred and child-sensitive approach. Where appropriate and with informed consent, this should include medical examination, independent recording of statements, documentation of injuries and preservation of available audiovisual evidence.

In cases involving minors, all documentation should comply with applicable child-protection and privacy safeguards.

7. Housing and Property Damage

Affected community members reported damage to houses and household property during the operation.

One community member, referred to during the discussion as Santosh, reported that his house or residential structure had been substantially damaged. He further alleged that the lock of the house was broken and that valuable household articles were removed.

The community also reported destruction or loss of materials used for livelihood activities.

These claims require systematic verification through:

photographic documentation;
household-level damage assessment;
statements of affected residents;
ownership or possession records where available;
video documentation; and
independent physical inspection.

8. Agricultural and Livelihood Impacts

The Folk School identified agriculture and livelihood as major areas of concern.

Community members reported that approximately three hectares of paddy cultivation had been damaged during the incident.

They also reported that approximately 12 buffaloes were taken away during the operation.

For households dependent upon agriculture and livestock, such losses may have consequences extending beyond immediate material damage, including loss of income, food security and productive capacity.

A systematic livelihood assessment would therefore be useful to determine:

household-level agricultural loss;
livestock ownership and loss;
loss of productive assets;
estimated economic value;
immediate food requirements; and
requirements for livelihood restoration.

9. Impact on Musahar Families

The community specifically reported impacts upon Musahar households, including damage to homes and livelihood resources.

Given the historically marginalised socio-economic position of many Musahar communities, such disruption may have disproportionate consequences for household food security, income, housing stability and access to public services.

The situation therefore warrants disaggregated documentation of affected households rather than treating the affected population as a homogeneous group.

10. Access and Mobility

A further concern concerned the condition of the village access route.

A community member identified as Najandev Bharti reportedly stated that the road connecting the village with surrounding areas had been cut or dug at approximately 10–12 locations.

Community members reported that this had created difficulties in movement and increased the perceived risk of accidents.

Further field verification should document:

the location of each obstruction;
its physical dimensions;
accessibility for pedestrians and vehicles;
implications for emergency medical access;
access to schools and markets; and
responsibility for restoration.

11. Allegations Concerning Detention and Treatment in Custody

The Folk School also documented an account concerning alleged ill-treatment during detention.

One participant reportedly described physical violence against detainees and stated that physical pain continued after release. The participant also described continuing sleep disturbance and psychological distress associated with the alleged experience.

The participant further alleged that while at Chauka Ghat district jail at Varanasi, detainees were made to undertake cleaning work, including drain cleaning, and that such work was performed under coercive circumstances.

These accounts constitute serious allegations requiring verification through appropriate records, including:

arrest and detention records;
medical examination reports;
jail registers;
statements of detainees;
statements of family members;
statements of other witnesses; and
relevant judicial records.

The psychological impact described by the participant also indicates the potential need for confidential psychosocial assessment and support.

12. Summary of Issues Identified

The participatory discussion identified the following broad categories of concern:

Thematic area	Issues reported by community members
Housing	Damage or destruction of houses and structures
Household property	Reported loss or destruction of household belongings
Livelihood	Loss of income-generating assets and livelihood resources
Agriculture	Reported damage to approximately three hectares of paddy
Livestock	Reported removal/loss of approximately 12 buffaloes
Mobility	Reported cutting or digging of village access routes
Arrests	Arrest/detention of community members
Women	Allegations of physical assault
Children	Allegations concerning mistreatment of minor girls
Custody	Allegations of physical ill-treatment
Forced work	Allegation of coerced cleaning work during detention
Food security	Reported difficulty meeting household food requirements
Psychosocial well-being	Fear, stress, sleep disturbance and continuing distress

13. Human Rights Documentation Perspective

The Folk School suggests that the reported incident has generated interrelated material, social, legal and psychosocial consequences for affected households.

From a human rights documentation perspective, the issues raised during the consultation relate to several areas requiring further examination, including:

personal security and protection from violence;
safeguards relating to arrest and detention;
protection of women and children;
treatment of persons in custody;
housing and property;
livelihood and food security;
freedom of movement and access;
protection of dignity; and
access to effective remedies.

However, the present report should not be interpreted as a final determination that any particular individual or institution committed a violation. Such conclusions require independent investigation, corroboration of evidence and appropriate legal determination.

14. Immediate Needs Identified

The discussion indicated several immediate needs among affected families:

Legal

Access to legal representation.
Verification of FIRs and arrest records.
Assistance concerning bail and other judicial procedures.
Documentation of individual cases.

Medical

Independent medical examination of persons reporting injuries.
Documentation of physical injuries.
Appropriate medical follow-up.

Child protection

Child-sensitive documentation of allegations involving minor girls.
Protection of privacy and confidentiality.
Appropriate legal and psychosocial assistance.

Livelihood

Assessment of agricultural losses.
Assessment of livestock losses.
Support for restoration of livelihood assets.
Food-security assistance where required.

Housing

Assessment of damaged structures.
Emergency shelter support where necessary.
Documentation of household property losses.

Psychosocial

Confidential psychosocial support for affected persons.
Attention to reported fear, sleep disturbance and continuing distress.

15. Recommendations for Further Documentation

Based on the Folk School findings, PVCHR may consider the following steps:

15.1 Individual case documentation

Prepare a separate case profile for each affected household covering:

demographic information;
household composition;
socio-economic status;
events experienced;
arrest/detention status;
physical injuries;
property damage;
agricultural losses;
livestock losses;
livelihood impact;
psychosocial consequences;
witnesses;
available evidence; and
legal status.

15.2 Evidence preservation

Relevant evidence should be preserved in its original form wherever possible, including:

photographs;
videos;
FIR copies;
arrest and detention records;
medical documents;
court documents;
land and agricultural records;
livestock-related documentation; and
witness statements.

15.3 Independent verification

Community allegations should be triangulated through multiple sources, including:

affected persons;
independent witnesses;
official records;
medical documentation;
physical inspection;
audiovisual evidence; and
judicial records.

15.4 Institutional follow-up

Where verified facts indicate potential rights violations, affected persons may be assisted in accessing appropriate legal and human rights mechanisms, subject to informed consent and applicable procedures.

16. Ethical and Safeguarding Considerations

Because the field documentation includes allegations concerning women, children and persons who may have been detained, particular attention should be given to confidentiality, informed consent and protection from retaliation.

Names and identifying information should not be publicly disseminated unless there is a clear and informed basis for doing so.

Information concerning minor children should receive enhanced protection. Any future publication should anonymise children and avoid details that could enable identification.

The distinction between testimony, observation, documentary evidence and verified fact should be maintained throughout subsequent reporting.

The Folk School conducted by PVCHR on 22 September 2026 in Chandauli District provided an important participatory forum for affected community members to collectively articulate their experiences following the reported police and administrative action.

The consultation documented reported concerns relating to housing and property damage, agricultural and livestock losses, livelihood disruption, access restrictions, arrests and detention, alleged violence against women and children, alleged custodial ill-treatment, forced work and psychosocial distress.

The findings should be understood as preliminary field documentation based on community testimony and field observation. Further investigation and triangulation are necessary to establish the factual and legal dimensions of the reported events.

A rights-based follow-up should prioritise the dignity, safety and informed participation of affected persons, while ensuring appropriate access to legal assistance, medical care, psychosocial support, livelihood assistance and effective remedies.an rights field report.