NLUD student, safai karmchari detained for seeking implementation of Labour Ministry order, later released 

Delhi police detained National Law University Delhi (NLU-D) student and a safai karamchari as they assembled at the vicinity for enforcement of Labour Ministry’s written order. They were later released only after intervention of lawyers and some other concerned people.

The student and safai karmcharis were not allowed to enter the campus and were denied a conversation with the administration.

Later the administration themselves refused to meet the student and the workers.

Labour Ministry of Delhi, on Monday, June 15, directed the National Law University (NLU), Delhi to reinstate all 55 safai karamcharis whose jobs had been unlawfully terminated in the month of January 2020. After agitating for 5 and a half long and torturous months, the sanitation workers finally obtained the Labour Ministry’s order mandating their immediate reinstatement. But despite the order the University refused to reinstate them citing some procedural requirements.

Anuj Yadav, Sub Inspector of PS Dwarka North, Sector 17 in civil dress allegedly intimidated the assembled sanitation workers. The police kept exerting mental pressure on the workers and delegitimizing their concern by saying that they were blocking the gates.

Despite the fact that less than 5 people assembled at each of the gates with proper social distancing with a written order in hand, the police continued to deal roughly with the workers to throw them out of the NLU site.

Ekta, an NLU student told the cops that they were not there for any protest but to get a written order implemented, but it was of no use.

Ekta was taken into custody for allegedly ‘instigating workers to protest’.

Police threatened to book the sanitation workers under Section 188 IPC and Section 144, CrPC as they were recording their ordeal, their phones were taken away and they were asked to submit them at the main gate of the Police Station. After hours of arguments, intervention of lawyers and other students, the student and the safai karmchari were released.

The workers remain unemployed even after the Labour Ministry’s order.