In bail plea, rights activist Nodeep Kaur says she suffered custodial violence

CHANDIGARH: Labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur in her bail plea before the Punjab and Haryana High Court has claimed that she was severely beaten up at a police station after her arrest by the Sonipat police last month.

The 23-year-old activist, hailing from Punjab's Muktsar district, has also claimed that her medical examination was not conducted in violation of section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Kaur is currently lodged in Karnal jail in Haryana.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday had adjourned the hearing on her bail plea and posted the matter for February 24.

In the bail plea filed through her counsels Arshdeep Singh Cheema and Harinder Deep Singh Bains, Kaur stated that she was falsely arraigned as accused in an FIR lodged under various sections, including 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC.

In her petition, the labour rights activist claimed that she was "targeted and falsely implicated" in the case as she was successful in generating massive support for the ongoing farmer movement against the Centre's three new farm laws.

Kaur, who is a member of the Majdoor Adhikar Sangathan, said they mobilized people for a protest at Kundli in Sonipat district against Centre's new farm laws.

The plea alleged that the mobilisation of local labourers in support of farmers annoyed the administration and a plan was devised to stifle the protest.

The bail plea stated that on January 12, the petitioner and MAS members marched towards a factory for demanding payment of pending wages of some workers.

The high court was informed that they were manhandled by a group formed by the Kundli Industrial Area, an association of industrial owners.

In the meantime, a team from Kundli police station led by the station house officer reached there and immediately on their arrival, they grabbed the petitioner by her hair and dragged to the side, according to the plea.

This angered the protesters and the situation became worse when the police resorted to lathi charge on peaceful protesters.

A scuffle ensued and the petitioner tried to pacify the situation but to no avail, it said.

The petitioner alone was caught and arrested by police officials.

She was beaten, tortured and suffered multiple injuries, it claimed.

The petitioner was taken to the police station in the absence of any woman police official and was beaten up by police officials, the plea alleged.

Kaur was arrested in Haryana's Sonipat on January 12, the Haryana police had earlier said.

Sonepat police officials had also said that a police team was attacked with sticks when they reached the site and some policemen sustained injuries in the incident.