New Delhi – In a strongly worded joint statement, nine student organizations from Jamia Millia Islamia have condemned what they described as the “illegal abduction, enforced disappearances, and brutal custodial torture” of student activists by the Delhi Police’s Special Branch. The groups also alleged instances of sexual threats and degrading treatment while the activists were in custody, reported the Maktoob Media.
The statement was issued by student groups including AIRSO, AISA, AISF, CRJD, DISSC, Fraternity Movement, MSU, MSW, and SFI. According to the groups, the detained students—affiliated with left-leaning organizations—were “stripped naked, beaten, electrocuted, and had their heads submerged in toilet bowls.” Female activists were allegedly threatened with sexual violence, including rape using rods.
Among the detainees was Samrat Singh, a social worker and psychologist, who had previously been falsely charged under the UAPA and Arms Act in 2009 and later acquitted after nearly five years of imprisonment. The student bodies stated that Singh is again being targeted for his activism and commitment to people’s causes.
Of the seven detained, six have now been released: Gurkirat, Gaurav, and Gaurang from Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (BSCEM); Baadal and Ehtemam-ul-Haque from the Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization; and Samrat Singh. However, Rudra, a 20-year-old student of Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, remains missing since July 18 after reportedly arriving at New Delhi Railway Station from Kolkata.
According to activists, the detainees were taken without prior notice or legal procedure—violating constitutional rights under Article 22. Several were picked up in different parts of Delhi, while Singh was allegedly detained from his home in Yamunanagar, Haryana, without informing local authorities or adhering to jurisdictional norms.
The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), a civil rights coalition, issued a separate statement decrying the actions as “illegal abductions” and describing the custodial treatment as a direct violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and dignity.
“None of the legal safeguards were followed,” CASR noted. “No arrest memos were prepared, families were not informed, and detainees were denied legal counsel. These acts constitute criminal offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including wrongful confinement, kidnapping, grievous hurt, and criminal intimidation.”
CASR further stated that the treatment of the students also violated the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, and, where applicable, the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The Jamia groups called the arrests part of a larger pattern of repression. “We have seen in Jamia how the administration and police target students who speak out—whether on fee hikes, hostel issues, or injustice. They are met with FIRs, suspensions, and expulsions,” the statement read.
“Why are student activists being targeted? Not for any crime—but for raising their voice against injustice and corporate exploitation,” it continued.
The statement concluded with a call to action: “Illegal abduction and extra-judicial violence is a criminal act. Stand in solidarity with the people’s resistance. Stop criminalizing students and activists.”
As of now, Rudra’s whereabouts remain unknown, and calls for accountability are growing among student and civil rights groups across the country.
