Day after release, Nodeep accuses police of torture
ROHTAK: A day after Dalit labour activist Nodeep Kaur was released from Karnal jail after she was granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana high court, Kaur on Saturday alleged that she was physically assaulted in police custody after her arrest by the Sonipat police on January 12.
During a press conference at Kundli border, Kaur said that no woman cop accompanied her from her arrest till sending her in police custody.
“After he arrest, the cops forcibly made me sign on white paper. My medical examination was not conducted, which is a violation of Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. It was done after the court intervened in the matter. In custody, police used to thrash me and use casteist remarks,” she added.
The 24-year-old activist alleged that people associated with factory owners in Kundli fired at labourers when he was arrested.
“Instead of taking action against factory owners and their goons, police arrested me and booked me under for rioting and extortion. They had behaved in a similar way with my colleague Shiv Kumar and tortured him,” she added. The Sonepat police had earlier issued a statement that Kaur’s allegations are baseless and false.
Urges people to raise voice for Shiv Kumar’s release from jail
A day after she was granted bail, labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur on Saturday urged people to raise voice for the release of Shiv Kumar, who is a co-accused in criminal cases registered against Kaur.
Kumar, president of Majdoor Adhikar Sanghathan, was held a few days after the arrest of labour rights activist Kaur.
She was arrested on January 12 in connection with a case filed under attempt to murder and some other charges, including allegedly gheraoing an industrial unit and demanding money from the company.
“Shiv Kumar is in jail even today. No one is talking about him. He is innocent. He was severely beaten up by the police, his bones are broken. I request people to raise voice for his bail as well,” said Kaur during a press conference at the Singhu border.
A medical examination of Kumar conducted by a Chandigarh-based hospital has found two fractures on his hand and foot along with some broken nail beds on his toe.
Kaur’s arrest received global attention after Meena Harris, niece of American Vice President Kamala Harris, tweeted saying the activist was “arrested, tortured & sexually assaulted in police custody”. Kaur, who rejoined the farmers protest at Singhu border on Saturday, said the ongoing movement has space for everyone to contribute, whether it is farmers or workers.