Press Statements
PUCL demands Manipur Government to Stop Criminalizing Human Rights Work!
10 Jul, 2023PUCL 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, 2023The 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, 2023Doubts 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, 2023The 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, 2023Judicial 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, 2022The 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, 2022The 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...
PUCL welcomes the initial step towards the complete repeal of the colonial law of Sedition
12 May, 2022The Peoples Union for Civil Liberties welcomes the order of the Supreme Court dated 11.05.22 in the petition filed by Army veteran Major-General SG Vombatkere (Retired) as well as PUCL and a range of other petitioners challenging the constitutional validity of Section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. In its petition, the PU...
Prof Vinay Kantha is no more. Our deepest condolences!
01 Feb, 2018NAPM expresses its deepest condolences at the sudden demise of Prof. Vinay Kantha on 25th December 2017 at PSRI hospital, Sheikh Sarai, Delhi. Vinay Kantha ji was suffering from non alcoholic cirrhosis of liver and we were hoping for his quick recovery. However, he suffered brain haemorrhage on 17th and could not recover from ther...
Statement Condemning the Attack by Hindu Religious Extremists at Bhima Koregaon
01 Feb, 2018PUCL condemns the pre – planned attack by Hindu religious extremists on people gathered at Bhima Koregaon, on 1st January 2018. Thousands of people predominantly from the Dalit community gather every year on 1st January at Bhima Koregaon (30 kms from Pune) to pay homage to the Dalit warriors who won victory over the Brahmi...