Mr. Kripa Shankar Singh is a registered Advocate with the Bar Council, practicing law in Allahabad. A former activist student in Gorakhpur, Deoria, and Maharajganj, Singh has a long history of working with students, workers, and farmers in Purvanchal through the Mazdoor Kisan Ekta Manch. In 2010, he was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and spent six years in jail before being released on bail in 2016. Singh has challenged the wrongful application of UAPA in the Supreme Court, which stayed the proceedings. Post his release, he obtained a law degree and began practicing legal activism, aiding the release of many unsupported prisoners and forming an anti-fascist movement.

Ms. Binda Sona, aged 42, met Singh through the social organization Rupantar. After their marriage, they moved to Uttar Pradesh, where Sona transitioned from social work to teaching and then to working as a typist in the Allahabad High Court.

Since 2020, Singh has been practicing law in the Allahabad High Court. In October 2023, during a court case, Singh was threatened by a lawyer from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

On March 5, 2024, at 7:00 am, ATS Uttar Pradesh and Dhuman Ganj Police personnel, along with plainclothes officers, arrested Singh and Sona from their home without informing their family or preparing an arrest memo. Both were charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and UAPA, including accusations of conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and unlawful activities related to terrorism.

We believe that Advocate Kripa Shankar Singh’s arrest is a result of his legal activism and support for marginalized communities. His wife, Ms. Binda Sona, appears to have been arrested solely due to her association with Singh. Furthermore, multiple violations of the DK Basu Guidelines of arrest were observed, including the absence of an arrest memo and failure to inform family members or provide legal resources to the accused.

HRD Alert - India urges immediate action to address these violations and ensure the release and fair treatment of Advocate Kripa Shankar Singh and Mrs. Binda Sona.

We urge the Hon’ble Commission to take cognisance of the above case and urgently:

• Direct the Director General of Investigation of the NHRC to initiate a transparent, independent inquiry in the illegal arrest and fake charges on Mr. Kripashankar Singh and Ms. Binda Sona submit the report to NHRC within four weeks and on the basis of the investigation, direct the Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh and ATS chief Uttar Pradesh to take urgent action against the officials who were responsible for the illegal arrest of Advocate Kripashankar Singh and his wife.