CHANDIGARH: Punjab women’s and child development minister Aruna Chaudhary on Thursday said the state government will give legal assistance to Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan’s Nodeep Kaur (23), who was arrested on January 12 from the farmers’ protest site at Kundli in Haryana.
Chaudhary also requested the National Women’s Commission (NCW) to intervene for the release of Nodeep, whose medical examination after the arrest had revealed injuries to the private parts. She told the NCW that the Punjab government will provide Nodeep with legal assistance through the state women’s commission but Haryana needed to be directed to give the Punjab delegation an access to her.
The minister said that the BJP government in Haryana was against the farmers’ agitation and it had picked up Nodeep and other labour unionists at the behest of the Union government. She said Nodeep was charged with attempt to murder and extortion, which was “unacceptable”. She also said: “Her family has laid horrifying allegations that her modesty was outraged in police custody and she continues to be denied bail after four weeks. The injuries revealed in the medical examination prove sexual assault in custody.”
She accused the Union government of violating the democratic rights of protesters by sending them to jail as anti-nationals.