NIA searches houses of student activists in Punjab to probe ‘Naxal links’ in 2023 case

2 two simultaneous raids at the houses of Punjab student activists - one in Sri Muktsar Sahib and the other at Patiala.

Protest by various organisations against NIA raids outside Lakhewali police station in Muktsar district on Friday. (Express Photo)

Written by: Raakhi Jagga

4 min readLudhianaDec 20, 2024 08:03 PM IST First published on: Dec 20, 2024 at 04:42 PM IST

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday early morning conducted two simultaneous raids at the houses of student activists in Punjab – one in Sri Muktsar Sahib and the other at Patiala – as part of a probe into a 2023 Naxal link case registered in Lucknow. The farm union leaders, on their part, condemned the raids which “are meant to intimidate those who dared to question the government’s anti-people policies”.

Around four NIA officials accompanied by Punjab Police officials reached the house of labour rights activist Rampal Singh around 5 am in Gandhar village of Sri Muktsar district. Singh who is associated with Manesar General Majdur Sangh, Haryana, is the brother of labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur of Majdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Harveer Kaur of Punjab Student Union, and Rajveer Kaur, member of Forum Against Corporatisation and Militarisation (FACAM) and Kalam Kala Sangram, His mother Sawaranjeet Kaur also a labour rights activist who works for Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union. The team seized his mobile phone, two diaries, and some pages with English and Punjabi text written, sources revealed.

Nodeep Kaur was earlier arrested by the Haryana Police in January 2021 at the time of the infamous farmers’ protest and was released on bail in February. She was working with factory workers’ unions at Kundli border at that time. She became a popular youth figure after Meena Harris, niece of former US vice-president Kamala Harris had tweeted seeking Kaur’s release.

Protest march was carried out by various organisations against NIA raids in Muktsar on Friday. (Express Photo)

In its second raid, NIA reached the house of Damanjeet Singh, ex-president of Students for Society (SFS) in Rajpura constituency of Patiala district around 5 am.

Sources said that the NIA officials confiscated his mobile phone, a laptop, collected his bank account details and also got his signatures done on search and seizure documents.

“The team came at about 5 am and stayed there for around four hours. Damanjeet Singh is now a farmer. This is an attempt to silence the activists who have dared to question the government about anti-people policies. We strongly condemn this,” Sandeep, current president of SFS, told The Indian Express.

Last month Singh was called at Lucknow where he was interrogated the whole day in connection with a case underway at NIA court in Lucknow, said sources.

Sukhwinder Kaur, general secretary of Bharti Kisan Union (BKU) Krantikari, said that her house was also raided in August in connection with the Lucknow case. “They just want to silence the voices of alert people. Our union members had gathered at Rajpura when we got to know about the arrival of NIA team but they had left by then,” she added.

Meanwhile, Nodeep Kaur and her sisters were not home, when NIA reached their house at Gandhar village.

“Our union members had gathered quickly outside the house when the raid was going on. The NIA officials stayed for more than 4 hours at the spot. They were in a bid to take Rampal but finally didn’t take him along. They took his mobile and a few documents. Their mother works with our union. They also got a search and seizure document signed from Rampal Singh,” said Lachhman Singh Sewewala, general secretary of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union.

Members of Zamhoori Adhikaar Front, BKU Ugrahan, Pendu Khet Mazdoor Union and members of several other unions had gathered outside the house at the time of NIA raids.

Tarsem Peter, president of Pendu Khet Mazdoor Union president, has condemned the search by NIA.

“NIA is trying to gag the voice of people who raise questions and above all, they don’t even inform the state police about their arrival which needs to be condemned,” Professor Bawa Singh, state committee member of Zamhoori Adhikaar Front, said.