Weren't informed of arrest, says labour activist Shiv Kumar's family

Parveen Arora

Karnal, December 22

With a judicial probe indicting the Sonepat police for keeping Kundli-based labour activist Shiv Kumar in illegal custody and torturing him, Shiv Kumar and his family members are now hopeful of justice.

They abused me

I was tortured by cops. I received eight injuries, including a leg fracture. I was beaten with sticks. They abused me and spat on me. — Shiv Kumar, labour activist

They are demanding action against the officials responsible for the trauma that Shiv Kumar faced in custody.

He was arrested for protesting against industrialists of Kundli over “unpaid wages and harassment” of workers. He was also an active supporter of the farmers’ agitation against the now revoked three farm laws.

Shiv Kumar, who as per the judicial probe report, was picked by the police on January 16 and kept in illegal custody till January 23, 2021, said they would again protest for justice. “The judicial probe report has clearly mentioned that the police kept me in illegal custody and doctors did not perform their duties honestly. We will hold a protest march soon seeking punishment for these officials,” he said. “I have full faith in the law,” he added.

On the trauma faced by him, Shiv Kumar said, “I was tortured by police personnel. I received eight injuries, including a leg fracture. I was beaten with sticks. They abused me and spat on me,” he alleged.

Rajbir Singh, father of Shiv Kumar who works as a guard on a contract basis at Government Middle School at Dewru village in Sonepat, said, “The police did not inform us about the arrest of Shiv Kumar. We came to know about his detention after 15 days on January 31, 2021, through our neighbour. My son was arrested on January 16, 2021, from the farmers’ agitation site at the Delhi border by the Sonepat police.” Rajbir, a father of five, said, “I am thankful to farmer and labour unions, and social organisations for coming out in our support. We are now hopeful of getting justice,” he said.

On March 16, 2021, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the District and Sessions Judge of Faridabad to hold an inquiry. The judicial inquiry, conducted by Judge Deepak Gupta, found the allegations of the family regarding illegal confinement and custodial torture true. The report said Shiv Kumar was tortured by the police during his illegal confinement and during the subsequent confinement from the intervening night of January 23 and 24, 2021, to February 2, 2021, authorised by the magistrate by granting police remand.

The report added that Vinay Kakran, posted as Judicial Magistrate First Class, Sonepat, also apparently did not perform his duty as required. Besides, the report said SI Shamsher Singh, then additional SHO; Inspector Ravi, then SHO, Kundli, and Inspector Ravinder Kumar, incharge of the CIA, were “responsible” for Kumar’s torture.