Top court orders production of two arrested men after family raises torture allegations linked to workers’ protest violence
The Supreme Court of India has directed the Uttar Pradesh Police to produce two men arrested in connection with the April workers’ protest violence in Noida after allegations of custodial torture surfaced before the court.
A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan ordered that the accused — Aditya Anand and Rupesh Roy — be presented before the court on Monday afternoon.
Family Alleges Torture In Police Custody
The matter reached the Supreme Court through a petition filed by Anand’s brother, who alleged that the arrested men were tortured while in police custody following their detention during the protests.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the petitioner, argued that Anand is an engineer employed at a factory and also runs a children’s library.
According to the plea, Anand’s speeches during the protests focused on labour rights and did not incite violence. The petitioner’s counsel also claimed that video recordings exist to support this argument.
Massive Workers’ Protest Turned Violent
The protests erupted on April 13, when tens of thousands of workers from industrial units across Noida gathered demanding salary hikes and better wages.
The agitation came against the backdrop of rising living costs and increasing fuel prices linked to disruptions in global energy supply routes amid tensions in West Asia.
The demonstrations later turned violent, with videos showing clashes, stone-pelting and vandalism as police attempted to disperse protesters and restore order.
More than 350 people were arrested following the violence.
Plea For Independent Investigation
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel sought an independent probe into the allegations, claiming the situation had “gone out of hand”.
The lawyer also alleged that legal representatives attempting to assist the accused were being obstructed.
However, the Uttar Pradesh government denied all allegations of custodial torture and maintained that proper legal procedure had been followed during the arrests.
The state also rejected claims that the accused were not informed about the grounds for their arrest.
Viral Video Of Police Action Sparked Controversy
The protest crackdown had earlier triggered controversy after videos surfaced online allegedly showing police personnel assaulting workers, including women protesters.
One widely circulated clip shared by opposition leaders and social media users claimed to show police lathi-charging and manhandling women during the demonstrations.
However, the Gautam Buddha Nagar Police Commissionerate dismissed the allegations and stated that the viral video appeared to be “morphed or AI-generated” and may not even be from Noida.
