An inquiry ordered by the Punjab and Haryana High Court into the alleged illegal detention and torture of labor rights activist Shiv Kumar has concluded that he was put under house arrest for a week from January 16-23 last year. He was kept in illegal confinement and “he was severely tortured”. Police, causing multiple injuries including fractures on various parts of his body.
In the 29-page report of Investigating Officer Panchkula’s District and Sessions Judge Deepak Gupta, it has been said that Shiv Kumar was examined five times from January 24, 2021 to February 2, 2021, but no doctor from Sonipat came. The doctor deputed to the government hospital or jail performed his duty and “he apparently danced to the tune of the police officers”.
three FIRs registered
On January 23, 2021, Haryana Police had arrested 24-year-old Shiv Kumar, district president of Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, in connection with three First Information Reports lodged at Kundli police station. The first of the three FIRs was registered on December 28, 2020 on charges of extortion, rioting and criminal intimidation. On January 12, 2021, the Haryana Police registered two more FIRs against him on similar charges, including one for attempt to murder.
The arrest of Shiv Kumar and his colleague Naudeep Kaur – both also part of the farmers’ agitation – was widely reported by the media and the matter gained further prominence following a tweet by US-based lawyer Meena Harris in support of them.
father’s request
It was following a petition by his father Rajbir that on March 16, 2021, the Punjab and Haryana High Court asked Mr. Gupta, the then District and Sessions Judge, Faridabad, to probe Mr. Kumar’s allegations of illegal detention and custodial torture. ,
The report submitted before the High Court in August this year stated that Vinay Kakran, who at the relevant time was posted as Judicial Officer First Class, Sonipat, “appears to have not performed his duty as that was necessary”.
The report states that Sub-Inspector Shamsher Singh, Additional SHO, Kundli Police Station, who was also the Investigating Officer in all the three cases, was “directly responsible for the torture meted out to Shiv Kumar”.