Rupesh Kumar (Student Leader)

Mithilesh (Advocate)

Bihar

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on 20 June, 2019 regarding the illegal arrest and torture of human rights defender Mr. Rupesh Kumar and Advocate Mithilesh by the Gaya police.

On June 4, 2019 Mr. Rupesh along with Mr. Mithilesh were travelling to Aurangabad, the ancestral village of Mr. Mithilesh in a car. On June 7, 2019 Mr. Rupesh, Mr. Mithilesh and the driver were arrested from Dobhi More at NH-2, near Sherghati, around 30 km from Gaya on June 6, 2019 and were charged under Sections 414 and 120B of the India Penal Code [IPC], along with other sections under the Explosive Substances Act. The following day, a unit of the Bihar Police illegally searched Mr. Rupesh’s house in Ramgarh and Bokaro, and seized his mobile phone, laptop and few books on Lenin, Marx etc. It will be pertinent to mention here that all of them were forcefully handcuffed and face covered with cloth at the spot and brought to the Paramilitary (Cobra battalion) base camp at Barachetti, where all of them were badly tortured especially Mr. Rupesh who was threatened for his progressive writing and political work. It is clear that the police had Mr. Rupesh and Mr. Mithilesh in illegal custody till June 6, 2019 as per news reports.

HRDA has prayed immediate, transparent, effective and time-bound investigation in the above matter.