Press Statements

PUCL demands the closure and halting of investigation of the NIA based on which raids in 8 locations of 5 districts of UP were undertaken today

05 Sep, 2023

All the devices and books of Seema Azad, National secretary of the PUCL and similarly of others seized by the NIA be returned immediately PUCL demands from the MHA to stop criminalising activism aimed at realising the directive principles of state policy as anti-national.   The PUCL is outraged that the house of its National ...

PUCL Maharashtra Statement on Murders by RPF constable Chetan Singh on July 31, 2023

08 Aug, 2023

Alarm bells must set off in the country on the hate killings by RPF constable Chetan Singh! PUCL Maharashtra is shocked by the ghastly hate killings by RPF constable Chetan Singh of his superior officer RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena and three Muslim passengers Abdul Qadir bhai Mohammed Hussain Bhanpurwala, Asgar Abbas...

PUCL's Demands regarding Manipur Crisis

30 Jul, 2023

The PUCL conducted a virtual Public Dialogue on Saturday, 29th July, 2023 inviting women leaders and others from the various communities in Manipur to speak about the incidents occurring in Manipur over the last 3 months. This followed several discussions with Doctors, Social Workers, Counsellors and others who had visited Manipur...

PUCL demands Manipur Government to Stop Criminalizing Human Rights Work!

10 Jul, 2023

PUCL Demands from the Manipur Government: Stop Criminalising Human Rights Work! Respect the fundamental rights of citizens to conduct Fact Finding Enquiries and publish their reports for public discussion. Immediately withdraw FIR against Annie Raja, Nisha Siddhu & Deeksha Dwivedi of NFIW for releasing Fact Finding report af...

PUCL on Law Commission Report on Sedition

26 Jun, 2023

The Report by the Law Commission of India headed by former Karnataka High Court Chief Justice, Ritu Lal Awasthi, has signally failed to contribute to dislodging the colonial and unconstitutional  offense of sedition from the statute books.  Instead the Report recommends a minor modification of Section 124-A of the IPC, ignoring ...

Stop Encounter Killings in UP: End State lawlessness!

19 Apr, 2023

Doubts arise about Complicity of UP Police in killing of Atiq & Ashraf Ahmed: Questions to be answered by UP Police. Why did the UP Police not seek ‘Police Custody’ of the killers of Atiq and Ashraf Ahmed when produced for remand before Duty Magistrate on 16.04.2023 itself, and agree to Judicial Custody? If the kill...

Stop the Witch-hunt of Journalists and Human Rights Activists in Kashmir: Release Irfan Mehraj, Khurram Parvez as well as Aasif Sultan, Sajad Gul, and Fahad Shah

31 Mar, 2023

The PUCL strongly condemns the arrest of Irfan Mehraj, a Srinagar based freelance journalist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on 20th March, 2023 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The arrest of Irfan Mehraj was pursuant to an FIR registered in 2020, in which human rights activist, Khurram Pervez was ...

PUCL Statement on Threat to Judicial Independence - "We the People" of India need to stand up and assert Constitutional Values and Ethos

17 Jan, 2023

Judicial Independence: FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLL!! Resist the Executive’s Attempt to Discredit & Undermine Independence of the Judiciary. As the Modi government reaches the final stretch of its second five-year term, one can see the beginnings of its new priorities. The drumbeats against the judiciary, the lone institution whi...

PUCL Condemns Delhi Police Raids on the Wire’s Editors & Seizure of Electronic Devices

02 Nov, 2022

The PUCL strongly condemns the raids on the residences and office of senior editors of the news portal, The Wire, in New Delhi and Mumbai on 31st October and 1st November, 2022 and manhandling of the lawyer, Mr. Shadan Farasat and other staff members of the Wire. The raids followed a First Information Report (FIR) registered in Ne...

PUCL condemns the Mass Raids, the Arrests of PFI leadership and cadre and the Ban on the PFI

29 Sep, 2022

The PUCL is deeply concerned about the implications for democracy and the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and association in the light of the ongoing `Operation Octopus’ which is being carried out against the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates, across the country as a joint operation of the CRPF, the home...