John Brittas, a Rajya Sabha member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), on Monday (April 20, 2026) wrote to Gautam Buddha Nagar Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh alleging “large-scale illegal detentions” and violations of due process following recent labour unrest in Noida.
Referring to telephonic conversations with senior police officers on April 17, he sought the release of “over a thousand workers and others” reportedly detained after protests over wage hikes and working conditions.
Citing a “fact-finding report” by a joint delegation of the All India Lawyers Union, Students’ Federation of India and Democratic Youth Federation of India, the letter alleged “prima facie untenable departures” from constitutional safeguards in arrests between April 13 and 17.
Why Noida’s factory unrest is more than just about minimum wages
According to the report, workers, bystanders, women and juveniles were picked up from public places, workplaces and residential areas without adherence to established procedures. It claimed that around 350 juveniles and nearly 800 adults were detained at Kasna alone, with families left without information for several days.
