India – CASR Strongly Condemns the NIA Raids on Tathagata Roychowdhury and Jhelum Roy
We hereby share a press statement published by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) today, on the raids on Comrade Tathagata Roy Chowdhury.
Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) Strongly Condemns the NIA Raids on Student Activist Tathagata Roychowdhury and Feminists in Resistance (FIR) Activist Jhelum Roy in the Bogus Eastern Regional Bureau Conspiracy Case
The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) strongly condemns the raids conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on the residences of student activist Tathagata Roychowdhury, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Students’ Front (RSF), and Jhelum Roy, a research scholar and activist associated with Feminists in Resistance (FIR), on 18 June 2026. These raids were carried out in connection with FIR No. RC-01/2022/NIA/Ranchi, popularly known as the Eastern Regional Bureau (ERB) conspiracy case.
Around 4:30 AM, teams of the NIA, accompanied by personnel from Kolkata Police, West Bengal Police, and the armed CRPF, raided the Santoshpur residence of Tathagata Roychowdhury. During the raid, books, magazines, and documents were seized. He has also been summoned to appear before the NIA office in Ranchi on 24 June, despite the existence of an NIA office in Kolkata. On the same day, the residence of Jhelum Roy, a research scholar and activist associated with Feminists in Resistance (FIR), was also raided.
One of the most disturbing aspects of the raid was that the NIA reportedly seized copies of the chargesheet and other legal documents related to the very same FIR No. RC-01/2022/NIA/Ranchi from Tathagata Roychowdhury’s residence. The seizure of legal documents pertaining to the case itself raises serious questions and further highlights the arbitrary and harassing nature of the investigation.
FIR No. RC-01/2022/NIA/Ranchi has been used for the last four years to target and harass activists across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal under the pretext of the alleged Eastern Regional Bureau conspiracy and accusations of being so-called “Urban Naxals” or overground workers of the CPI (Maoist). Six political activists have already been arrested in connection with this case, while many others have been subjected to repeated raids, interrogations, and intimidation.
The latest raids are part of a wider pattern. In 2024, the NIA raided the homes of several activists in West Bengal, following similar operations in Jharkhand targeting labour rights activists, students, journalists, and human rights defenders. These actions have created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among democratic and people’s movements.
A similar pattern is visible in FIR No. RC-01/2023/NIA/Lucknow, where students, advocates, writers, labour rights activists, and human rights defenders have been targeted. Three activists including students, advocates and filmmaker have already been arrested in that case. Across the country, from Bengal to Punjab, young student activists associated with revolutionary and democratic organizations have increasingly faced surveillance, raids, arrests, and criminalization.
CASR believes that the repeated use of conspiracy cases and draconian laws such as the UAPA has become a mechanism to suppress dissent and intimidate those working among oppressed and exploited sections of society. The growing use of the NIA against students, workers, peasants, journalists, lawyers, and rights defenders raises serious concerns regarding democratic rights and civil liberties.
CASR strongly condemns these raids and demands an immediate end to the harassment and intimidation of democratic activists.
Our demands are:
– Stop the harassment of Tathagata Roychowdhury, Jhelum Roy, and all democratic activists.
– End the misuse of conspiracy cases and draconian laws against people’s movements.
– Repeal the UAPA and the NIA Act.
– Release all political prisoners.
Campaign Against State Repression
AIRSO, AISF, APCR, ASA, BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM, Collective, CRPP, CSM, CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity Movement, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, NAPM, Nazariya Magazine, Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Samajwadi Lok Manch, Bahujan Samajwadi Manch, United Peace Alliance, WSS, Y4S
We recommend our readers to read the note published yesterday on this topic, and also to see the statement-video shared by RSF:
