human rights defender
Organization affiliation
- Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan (MAS)
HRD's year of birth
1994
HRD's Gender
Man
Type of HRD
- Academic
HRD's thematic area of engagement
- Civil and political rights
- Labour rights
- Land rights
HRD's geographical origin
Semi urban
Current Status
Released
HRD's bio and work
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.
Detained since
Mar 12, 2026
Date of release
Mar 14, 2026
Charge(s)
- Anti-government propaganda
Latitude: 28.57367926060981
Longitude: 77.27254030822127
Geolocation of detention
Country or area of detention
Region of detention
- Asia: Southern Asia
Location of detention - City/Town
Special Cell Unit Office, New Friends Colony, Delhi
Location of detention - Facility
Special Cell Unit Office, New Friends Colony, Delhi
Allegations / reports of ill-treatment
Shiv Kumar was subjected to brutal assault by the police using leather belts, he was interrogated about his laptop. When Shiv Kumar replied that he does not know how to operate a laptop he was turned upside down and hanged in that position for about 3 hours. Then he was beaten with leather belts. His father has been contacted and threatened, stating that Shiv Kumar and his brother Sagar will be arrested by the Police. Shiv Kumar reported that “they forced me to strip naked, forced me to open my legs and hit me with my own belt on my private part”.
Recent case update / evolution
After the abduction of the activist, an Habeous Corpus petition has been filed before the High Court of Delhi. The Court has ordered a detailed enquiry into the torture and illegal detention. The court is awaiting reports from the Concerned Police. On 16 April 2026, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) issued a notice for questioning to Shiv Kumar in connection with the so-called “Lucknow Conspiracy Case” (FIR No. RC-01/2023/NIA/Lucknow), formally naming him in the proceedings and exposing him to an imminent risk of arrest.
Any other relevant documents
https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/india-harassment-against-labour-rights-defender-shiv-kumar
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