Punjab & Haryana HC granted bail to dalit labour activist, Nodeep Kaur

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday (26th February) granted Bail To Dalit Labour Activist Nodeep Kaur in the third FIR Registered against her in relation to her arrest on January 12, amid the farmers’ protests.

The 24-year-old Dalit labour rights activist was arrested from the Singhu border on 12 January, where she was part of the ongoing farmers’ protest against the Centre’s contentious farm laws.

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Earlier, Kaur was reportedly granted bail in two cases lodged against her alleging extortion. However, she continued to remain in jail in view of her arrest in a third case alleging offences under Section 307 (attempt to murder), Section 146 (rioting), and Section 353 (assault to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code.

With the High Court granting bail in this third case today, Kaur can now be released from jail. The order was pronounced this morning by Justice Avneesh Jinghan who had called for all of Kaur’s medical reports earlier this week. In today’s hearing, he sought to examine whether the allegations of Kaur being tortured in custody were true. Bail was granted upon a prima facie observation that there was nothing to substantiate the allegations of an attempt to murder levelled against Kaur, among other reasons.

On January 12, she was protesting in the Kundli industrial area with twenty others, demanding wages. Clashes with the police ensued thereafter. The High Court had also registered a suo motu case following complaints about her “illegal confinement.”

The Court is also hearing a petition moved by the father of Shiv Kumar, who was arrested days after Kaur was arrested. Kumar’s father has alleged that Kumar has been tortured while in custody. On Wednesday, Justice Jhingan called for all of Kumar’s medical reports to assess these allegations of torture. Kumar’s case will be heard next on March 16.