PIL seeks release of illegally arrested, detained from Delhi borders after R-day violence

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was moved in Delhi High Court on Monday seeking the release of all persons who were illegally detained on or after January 26, in and around Singhu Border, Tikri Border and Ghazipur border during the tractor rally protests on Republic Day.

The plea was filed by law graduate Harman Preet Singh through advocates Ashima Mandla and Mandakini Singh.

In the plea, the petitioner has urged for the immediate release of persons including but not limited to farmers, illegally detained by the respondent Delhi Police.

According to the petition, Harman Preet Singh has come to the knowledge through personal survey, newspaper reports, media reports and social activists that the detained persons were illegally detained from the Singhu border, Ghazipur border and Tikri border, in the absence of an FIR, thereby violating the basic fabric of liberty.

"Furthermore, through personal data collection, the Petitioner has the names of 15 persons out of the aforementioned set of persons, who have been missing and detained since January 26 and 27, and despite a passage of over four days, no legally tenable reason has surfaced supporting such detention," the plea said.

"On January 27, the respondent number 3 (Delhi Police) circulated in media that over 200 persons have been detained in connection with the alleged violence in the national capital during the farmers' tractor rally and thus far 22 FIRs were registered thereof. It is the humble submission on behalf of the Petitioner that assuming the respondent number 3 has registered FIRs qua the fore mentioned 200 persons, the failure to comply with the signing of the arrest memo and/or informing the next of kin within a period of 8-12 hours, and non-production of the persons before the Magistrate u/s 167 CrPC, falls within the contours of illegal detention," the petition added.

It urged the court to issue a direction to the respondents to order and facilitate the immediate release of all persons illegally arrested or detained on or after January 26 from areas in and around Singhu Border, Tikri Border and Ghazipur border.

( With inputs from ANI )