In 2011, she was arrested by the Delhi Police on behalf of Chhattisgarh authorities on allegations of acting as a conduit for Maoists and during her detention, she was subjected to torture and sexual assault by the state police. By April 2013, the courts had acquitted her in six out of eight cases due to lack of evidence, her release marked a turning point, as she then dedicated herself to advocating for the Adivasi community and denouncing state violence. In 2018, Soni Sori received the Front Line Defenders Award for her courageous work defending Indigenous rights in Bastar.

‍