Press Statement: NIA Raid in Kolkata and West Bengal on 1.10.2024

ASSOCIATION FOR PROTECTION OF DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS ( APDR)
গণতান্ত্রিক অধিকার রক্ষা সমিতি
18 Madan Baral Lane,
Kolkata:700012

PRESS STATEMENT

National Invesigation Agency (NIA)  today (01/10/24) raided residence  of many activists covering many districts of West Bengal including capital Kolkata reportedly in connection with a case registered at Ranchi, Jharkhand. Since early morning the raid continued till noon. Mobile and laptops of many activists have been taken away. In the name of search all the houses of the activists are ransacked. Some of the activists are issued with notices to report at NIA's Ranchi office for further interrogation. 
The activists includes Researcher & Independent Filmmaker Avigyan Sarkar, trade union activist in Asansol collieries Sudipta Pal,  rights activists Bipasha Naskar,  Sipra Chakraborty, Journalist Prasenjit Charaborty and many others.
APDR condemns this NIA raid which is nothing but state represion on dissent. All the activists are well  known in the State for their disstening voice against State policies. We call upon  people of West Bengal to rise in protest, demanding a full stop to this fearful NIA raids on dissenting voices. All the laptops and mobiles taken away must be returned immediately. Supreme Court in earlier cases critised investigating agencies for indiscriminate confiscation of mobile and laptops of activists forcing them to stop their professional activities. Yet they did it again!
 We once again demand disbanding of unconstitutional NIA.

Ranjit Sur,
General Secretary, 
APDR.
01/10/24