Rights Group Condemns Alleged Abduction of Ten Activists and Students in Delhi

NEW DELHI — The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) has issued an urgent statement condemning the alleged abduction of ten individuals by the Delhi Police and other state agencies. The missing persons include two labour rights activists, two anti-displacement activists, and six students whose current whereabouts remain entirely unknown.

The series of disappearances reportedly began on March 12. Delhi University psychology student Ms. Ilakkiya and labour rights activist Mr. Shiv Kumar were allegedly picked up by unidentified personnel in plain clothes. The two had visited Dyal Singh College to meet faculty member Sachin N to discuss activities for Anti-Imperialism Week.

According to local shopkeepers, a woman agent in civilian clothing forcibly escorted Ms. Ilakkiya into a waiting Scorpio vehicle equipped with VIP lights near the JLN Metro station around 1:00 pm. Witnesses suggest Mr. Shiv Kumar had already been forced into the vehicle. By 1:30 pm, Ms. Ilakkiya’s phone was switched off, and neither has contacted family or colleagues since.

The situation escalated the following day. Manjeet, another activist associated with the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, went missing while returning home. He had just attended a CASR program demanding the release of imprisoned lawyer Surendra Gadling, who is incarcerated in the Bhima Koregaon case.

Later that same evening, around 8:00 pm, local residents reported that Delhi Police detained seven more individuals from the BSCEM student organisation office in Vijay Nagar. Those taken include Akshay, Drishti, Rudra, Kiran, and Gaurav from BSCEM, along with Badal and Ehtemam from the Forum Against Corporatisation and Militarisation (FACAM).

CASR highlighted a deeply troubling history of police action and alleged abuse against several of the missing individuals. Mr. Shiv Kumar previously faced severe custodial torture after his arrest during the Singhu Border farmers' protest alongside activist Nodeep Kaur.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, under Justice Deepak Gupta, previously noted that Mr. Shiv Kumar suffered fractures and numerous injuries while in illegal confinement at the CIA office in Sonepat. The court report held Inspector Ravinder responsible for the torture. Activists warn that Mr. Shiv Kumar has not yet fully recovered from these injuries, raising grave concerns for his current physical safety.

Other missing individuals have also faced recent detentions. Ms. Ilakkiya, Kiran, and Akshay spent a month in Tihar Jail late last year following an India Gate protest against Delhi's severe air pollution.

Similarly, CASR noted that Ehtemam, Badal, and Gaurav were allegedly abducted and tortured for over a week by the Delhi Police Special Cell just eight months ago. The organisation views this repetition as a targeted pattern of repression against democratic voices.

In light of these events, CASR is demanding immediate accountability from authorities. The coalition, representing dozens of trade unions, student groups, and civil society organisations, insists on the immediate disclosure of the whereabouts of all ten individuals.

Furthermore, the rights group is demanding concrete assurances of their physical well-being, immediate access to legal counsel, and the restoration of communication with their families.