NEW DELHI — A wave of illegal abductions, enforced disappearances, and custodial torture of democratic activists has reportedly unfolded in Delhi over the past week, according to the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), a coalition of civil rights and activist groups.
As per the CASR report, student activists Gaurav, Gurkirat, and Gauraang, associated with the Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (BSCEM), were picked up on July 9, without any arrest warrant or legal notice. On July 11, Ehtemam-ul Haque and Baadal from the Forum Against Corporatisation and Militarisation were also taken by a special branch of the Delhi Police. On July 12, Samrat Singh, a psychologist and social activist, was abducted from his home in Yamunanagar, Haryana—outside Delhi Police’s jurisdiction—without any prior notice or legal procedure. On July 19, student activist Rudra went missing from New Delhi Railway Station after his last contact with friends; his whereabouts remain unknown.
None of these arrests followed the legal procedures guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.
CASR cites that the police ignored Article 22, which ensures that anyone arrested must be informed of the reasons for their arrest and allowed to consult a lawyer, The observer Post reported.
It also said that the Supreme Court’s guidelines from the 1997 D.K. Basu case were also violated—no arrest memos were given, families were kept in the dark, and detainees were denied legal access.
“The activists who were illegally abducted were subjected to brutal physical and mental torture at the Delhi Police Special Cell on CV Raman Marg,” said CASR.
“They were stripped naked, beaten, electrocuted, and humiliated by having their heads submerged in toilets. Female activists faced threats of rape using rods and were sexually harassed in custody. This cruel treatment is a grave violation of their right to life and dignity under the Constitution.”
CASR also pointed out that these acts are criminal offences under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including kidnapping, wrongful confinement, causing grievous hurt, and criminal intimidation. These acts also violate the Protection of Human Rights Act and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Supreme Court has repeatedly declared custodial torture illegal and a direct attack on the rule of law.
Gurkirat was released on July 16, Baadal, Gaurav, and Gauraang on July 17, and Ehtemam and Samrat on July 18. Rudra, who remained missing since July 19, was released today. CASR reported that the activists were forced to sign blank confession papers, and one was made to sign an agreement not to return to Delhi. Families who came to inquire about their relatives were humiliated by police officers.
Samrat Singh’s case is particularly alarming. On July 12, a group of 4–5 men and 2 women came to his house and took him away without any legal paperwork. One man claimed to be Praveen Yadav of Delhi Police, giving a phone number that has since been unreachable. The local police in Yamunanagar were told by their SP that Delhi Police took Samrat into custody but had not informed them officially. This lack of transparency is an enforced disappearance under both Indian and international law.
“Samrat Singh is not a criminal—he is a psychologist working at a local hospital and has been active in people’s struggles for over two decades. He has consistently stood by the oppressed and downtrodden people. In 2009, he was falsely implicated under the UAPA and Arms Act, tortured in custody, and imprisoned for nearly five years—only to be eventually acquitted of all charges by the court. Today, Samrat is once again being targeted for his unwavering commitment to people’s causes.”
CASR condemned these actions strongly, calling them gross violations of civil liberties and democratic rights. They demanded strict action against the Delhi Police officers involved and a judicial inquiry into the arrests and treatment of detainees.
“We urge all civil rights groups and citizens to unite against this misuse of power,” CASR said. “If such illegal acts become normal, not only activists but all people will be unsafe from state violence.”
