Noida: Police invoked National Security Act against a writer and activist and a Delhi-based PhD scholar accused of orchestrating violence during a workers’ protest for higher minimum wages on April 13, drawing sharp criticism from civil rights groups, who called it a ploy to keep them behind bars.Satyam Verma (62) who had a long stint as a journalist in Lucknow and Delhi, wrote for the monthly labour magazine Mazdoor Bigul, after which the organisation Mazdoor Bigul Dasta that police claim is behind the April 13 violence is named. Verma was arrested from Lucknow on April 17. Aakriti Choudhary, a student activist and theatre artist, is a member of Mazdoor Bigul Dasta.Police maintained that Satyam and Aakriti encouraged crowds to turn aggressive, leading to widespread arson, vandalism and attacks on public property. A senior officer said CCTV footage, social media posts and intelligence reports established their involvement in mobilising crowds and circulating provocative messages. Charges under NSA, which allows preventive detention in cases that are deemed a threat to public order and national security, were recommended on the basis of this evidence, the officer said.Investigators alleged inflammatory messages and rumours were spread through social media platforms to incite workers against govt, and that certain elements sought to exploit the labour movement to disturb law and order. Police said they were identifying other individuals who may have encouraged violence or spread misinformation during the protests.Mazdoor Bigul Dasta rejected the charges as politically motivated, saying lawyers of Satyam and Aakriti highlighted the “emptiness of the charges and the illegality of the arrests, while the public prosecutor failed to produce any substantial evidence”. The organisation said it believed NSA provisions could also be invoked against other arrested activists, including Aditya Anand, Rupesh Roy, Manisha Chauhan, Srishti Gupta and Himanshu Thakur.Campaign for Release of Workers and Activists of Noida (CaRWAN), a coalition of civil rights activists, student organisations and lawyers, said NSA was slapped on the two to keep them in detention indefinitely. The cops, they claimed, so far found nothing against them that would hold up their charges in court.CaRWAN members said Satyam, who worked with news agency Univarta and is associated with Janchetna Books in Lucknow and Jagaruk Nagrik Manch, was not present in Noida during the protest and last visited the city 12 years ago. “Yet the UP Police is painting him as a main conspirator, claiming he was present and inciting violence,” a press communique issued by them said. Known for his Hindi translations of English works in different genres, Satyam is the son of noted historian, author and academic Lal Bahadur Verma.Aakriti, who completed her master’s in history from Daulat Ram College at DU’s north campus and is preparing for a PhD, was detained by plainclothes officers at Botanical Garden Metro Station on April 11, two days before the protest, after she had attended a previous demonstration to extend solidarity with workers and advocate for a peaceful strike. A resident of Model Town in Delhi, she has now been in custody for over a month.Supreme Court advocate Kabir, who is representing Satyam, said the NSA invocation significantly reduced the prospects of early release. “We have challenged the legality of the arrests and are contesting for bail, whereas police are adding new sections as if with some premeditated motive,” he said.Satyam’s petition challenging the legality of his arrest is scheduled to be taken up by Allahabad high court later this week. Aakriti’s bail application is listed for hearing on Thursday, while police have applied for remand custody, scheduled to be heard on Friday. Her counsel in Surajpur court, Rajnish Yadav, said a book recovered from her residence was presented as evidence of alleged Left-wing ideology. “Invoking the NSA against Aakriti and Satyam is nothing but an effort to keep them behind bars,” he said, adding that the prosecution failed to place any substantial material on record to establish their role in the violence.The Noida workers’ protests initially began on April 10 after the Haryana govt announced a 35% increase in wages for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers. Factory workers in the district launched demonstrations demanding similar hikes and improved working conditions. Police said the agitation remained peaceful between April 10 and 12 before violence broke out across several industrial sectors on April 13.Many factories across the district allegedly suffered damage and several vehicles were set on fire. Multiple FIRs were subsequently registered at Phase II, Sector 63 and other police stations. Seven people, including three women, were arrested as key accused for allegedly orchestrating the unrest.Many factories across the district allegedly suffered damage and several vehicles were set on fire. Multiple FIRs were subsequently registered at Phase II, Sector 63 and other police stations. Seven people, including three women, were arrested as key accused for allegedly orchestrating the unrest.
