Farmers Movement Archive

Nodeep Kaur case: HC disposes of plea on illegal detention

The Punjab and Haryana high court has disposed of suo motu plea initiated on January 12 on reports of illegal detention of labour activist Nodeep Kaur in January.Kaur, along with her associates Shiv Kumar and Sahil, all affiliated with Majdoor Adhikar Sangthan, were arrested in January and booked for violence reported at different locations in Sonepat.Kaur had been demonstrating in solidarity with farmers protesting against Centre’s three farm laws. Their arrest had resulted in a huge uproar with the state being accused of muzzling voices of the protesters.The high court bench of justice Avneesh Jhingan disposed of the plea observing that the issue of illegal detention is no longer required to be gone into in view of the fact that there was an FIR registered against her subsequent to which she was arrested and is now on bail. The court has, however, given her liberty to avail remedy for redressal of grievance with regard to alleged maltreatment and custodial torture. Suo motu proceedings were initiated in January. Subsequently, the state had alleged that she was accused of extorting money from industrialists in Kondli area of Sonepat and inciting workers during a protest on January 12 in which seven cops were reportedly injured.Though she had claimed that she was assaulted in custody, Haryana Police had denied the same. The first FIR was registered on December 28 and two more on January 12.

Hindustan Times

24-04-2021

Chandigarh