Noida workers’ agitation: plea in Allahabad High Court to club multiple FIRs

Manisha Chauhan, a 25-year-old factory worker in Noida, has filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court to consolidate 11 separate FIRs against her. The petitioner argues that since the cases all refer to the same events that occurred between April 10 and 13, with overlapping evidence and witnesses, it is appropriate to combine the FIRs.

The protests took place in Noida's industrial area over issues like wage hikes, working hours, and better overtime pay, resulting in violence on April 13. Several people were arrested, and multiple FIRs were registered, alleging involvement of outsiders and misinformation networks. Manisha's lawyer, Manik Gupta, believes that clubbing the FIRs will help all implicated workers and activists attend trials together.

The current multiple FIRs create a situation where bail granted in one case is followed by another, keeping the accused in jail without any legitimate investigative purpose. The lawyer also mentions the case of a 16-year-old minor arrested with adults, who was forced to fill bonds with two sureties of ₹50,000 each, later reduced to ₹30,000.

The coalition of FIRs imposes financial burdens on workers who must travel to courts from their native places, and companies have blacklisted them, leaving no employment opportunities in Noida.