Fight not yet over, says sister on labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur's bail

NEW DELHI: The bail granted to labour rights campaigner Nodeep Kaur is far from a victory, her elder sister Rajvir Kaur said on Friday, noting that the fight is still on as the list of activists lodged in jails is "very long".

Kaur was on Friday granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court around six weeks after her arrest in a criminal case filed under several charges, including attempt to murder.

Kaur was arrested in Haryana's Sonipat for allegedly gheraoing an industrial unit and demanding money from a company on January 12.

Police had claimed that a team of cops was allegedly attacked with sticks, resulting in injuries to seven policemen in the incident.

Rajvir said, "We have not won this fight. How can we win this fight till the time activists like Shiv Kumar (arrested with Kaur), Umar Khalid (accused in Delhi riots' conspiracy case), Khalid Saifi (booked under UAPA in Delhi riots case), the list is very long, are inside jails? They all are our country's true leaders.

"Our fight will go on till the time they all are out (of jails) and till their fight for what is right and just is not won. So it is important that we all stand united and continue raising our voice in their support."

She was speaking at the Press Club of India here during a public meeting, marking a year since the arrest of Saifi and Ishrat Jahan, both booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in a case related to the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February last year.

"The whole family supports Nodeep Kaur. She told us that she wants to join the movement and continue with her work for farmers and labour rights once she is out," Rajvir added.

Nodeep, who was lodged in Haryana's Karnal jail, in her bail plea had claimed to have been severely beaten up at a police station after she was arrested by the Sonipat police on January 12.

The police have denied the charge as "baseless".

Kaur had claimed that she was falsely arraigned as accused in an FIR lodged under various sections, including 307 (attempt to murder), of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The activist had also claimed she was targeted and falsely implicated in the case as she was successful in generating massive support for the ongoing farmers' movement against the Centre's three contentious farm laws.

She is a member of the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan and a resident of Giadarh village in Punjab's Muktsar district.

At the event, Nargis Saifi, wife of Khalid Saifi, also alleged that her husband was tortured inside the jail.

Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan came down heavily on the police who he alleged are investigating cases with "malafide intentions'' -- be it the JNU attack in January last year, Jamia Millia Islamia incident in 2019, 2020 Delhi riots or violence during farmers protest at Singhu border.

He urged the courts to take suo moto notice of what's happening and put the accused police officials, making mockery of the rule of law, behind bars.