India: Threats of arrest and intimidation against labour rights defender Shiv Kumar and his family

India 
28 October 2026 

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in India. 

New information: 

The Observatory has been informed about escalating threats, intimidation, and surveillance targeting Mr Shiv Kumar, a prominent labour rights defender from the Dalit community, and a member of the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan (MAS), an organisation advocating for the rights of contract workers in Haryana State. 

On 8 October 2026, at approximately 11 pm, around 10 armed police officers belonging to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Haryana Police, some in plain clothes and others in uniform, visited Shiv Kumar’s residence in the village of Devru, in Sonipat district. They searched his home and the surrounding area and inspected the mobile phones of his family members.  

On 11 October 2026, an unmarked vehicle was seen following Mr Shiv Kumar’s brother, Mr Sagar Kumar, as he was leaving for work. On 10 October 2026, police officers visited a shop near Mr Shiv Kumar’s workplace while NIA officials showed photographs of Mr Shiv Kumar and his colleague Manjeet to people in the area surrounding the MAS office and making enquiries about them.  

These incidents follow a visit by NIA officials to Mr Shiv Kumar’s residence on 25 September 2026, when he was not at home. The officers allegedly questioned and intimidated his father and brother without presenting a warrant or prior notice. They reportedly took his father’s mobile phone, accessed its contents without his consent and subsequently returned it. The same officials allegedly visited the premises of MAS and questioned and threatened the landlord over the rental of premises to labour rights activists. Following this visit, the landlord reportedly asked Mr Shiv Kumar and his colleagues to vacate the premises. 

The Observatory recalls that, on 16 April 2026, the NIA issued a notice summoning Mr Shiv Kumar for questioning in connection with the so-called “Lucknow Conspiracy Case”, exposing him to a risk of arrest. The case was initiated in September 2023 to investigate alleged attempts to revive Maoist activities in northern India and has involved investigations into human rights defenders, labour rights activists, students and lawyers across several Indian states. 

The Observatory also recalls that Mr Shiv Kumar has previously been subjected to arbitrary detention and torture. On 12 March 2026, Delhi Police Special Cell officers detained him for approximately 60 hours without a warrant or explanation and subjected him to torture and ill-treatment after questioning him about other activists in connection with the “Lucknow Conspiracy Case”. He was released on the night of 14 to 15 March 2026 following a habeas corpus petition filed by his father before the Delhi High Court. In January 2021, he was also arbitrarily detained and tortured by Haryana Police during farmers’ protests. Subsequent judicial inquiries, including a District and Sessions Judge’s report released on 1 July 2022 confirmed that he had been illegally detained and tortured in police custody. 

The Observatory further recalls that the prohibition of torture and arbitrary detention is enshrined in Articles 7 and 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which India is a State party. The right to privacy and the right to freedom of association are also protected under Articles 17 and 22 of the ICCPR. 

The Observatory is gravely concerned by the threats against Mr Shiv Kumar’s family, particularly the alleged use of firearms to intimidate them, the search of his home and inspection of his family members’ mobile phones, as well as the surveillance of his brother. These incidents appear to form part of a broader pattern of intimidation targeting Mr Shiv Kumar and his relatives, further heightening the risk of his arbitrary arrest. 

The Observatory calls on the Indian authorities to immediately put an end to all acts of harassment, intimidation, and threats against Mr Shiv Kumar, his family and colleagues, and to guarantee that he will not be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention in connection with his legitimate human rights activities. 

Actions requested: 

Please write to the authorities of India urging them to: 

• Guarantee in all circumstances the physical integrity and psychological well-being of Shiv Kumar, his family members, and all human rights defenders in India; 
• Put an immediate end to all acts of intimidation, threats, and surveillance targeting Mr Shiv Kumar, his relatives, and colleagues, and refrain from any arbitrary arrest or detention; 
• Order an independent, impartial and effective investigation into the reported threats, intimidation, and surveillance and ensure that those responsible are held accountable; 
• Ensure that the proceedings in the so-called “Lucknow Conspiracy Case” are conducted in accordance with international human rights standards and are not used to target human rights defenders for their legitimate activities. 
• Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in India can carry out their legitimate activities freely and safely, without fear of reprisals. 

Addresses  

• Mr. (Shri) Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, Email : appt.pmo@nic.in , Twitter : @PMOIndia / @narendramodi  
• Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Hon'ble Minister of External Affairs, Email : eam@mea.gov.in, X : @MEAIndia / @DrSJaishankar  
• Mr. (Shri) Amit Shah, Union Cabinet Minister of Home Affairs; and Minister of Cooperation, Email : amitshah.mp@mpls.sansad.in, amitshah.bjp@gmail.com, X: @AmitShah
• Mr. (Shri) Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon'ble Minister of State of Law and Justice, Email : mljoffice@gov.in , X : @MLJ_GoI
• Mr. (Shri) Raj Nath Singh, Hon'ble Minister of Defence, Email : rmo@mod.nic.in ; X : @DefenceMinIndia
• Mr. Arindam Bagghi, Permanent representative of India to the United Nations in Geneva, Email : india.geneva@mea.gov.in  

Please also write to the diplomatic missions or embassies of India in your respective countries. 

*** 
Paris-Geneva, 28 October 2026 
 
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply. 
 
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society. 
 
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line: 
• E-mail: alert@observatoryfordefenders.org  
• Tel FIDH: + 33 1 43 55 25 18  
• Tel OMCT: + 41 22 809 49 39