Four months on, Noida protest workers face job losses and mounting legal bills
Workers arrested after April's Noida protest report heavy legal expenses, job losses and financial distress four months later.
Four months after the April 13 protest in Noida over wages and working conditions, several workers who were arrested say they continue to face severe financial hardship, with legal costs and lost income pushing many into debt.
For those detained following the police action, expenses related to bail, documentation and court appearances have ranged from tens of thousands to several lakh rupees. Workers and their families have had to bear costs for drafting affidavits, notarisation, certified copies, photocopying and repeated travel to the Surajpur court. Many also lost wages on days they had to appear for hearings.
Family members made multiple trips between Delhi, Surajpur, the Allahabad High Court and their hometowns to complete verification formalities required for bail and release.
One 25-year-old trainee supervisor at a garment company, arrested five days after the protest, said he has been unable to find work since his release a month ago. He was picked up outside his workplace and taken to Kasna jail. With his family based in Prayagraj, he said an uncle could meet him only ten days after the arrest. The uncle spent at least ₹15,000–20,000 on paperwork alone, even though lawyers took up the case without fees.
An e-rickshaw driver arrested on the night of April 13 faced a second FIR registered four days later at a different police station. His uncle said he spent over ₹2.5 lakh on bail and release, including legal costs, travel, four months of room rent and the EMI for the vehicle.
Another worker's father said he spent at least ₹27,500, excluding travel and food, and lost several days of work. While his lawyer charged ₹5,100, he said others reported paying ₹3,000–5,000 per hearing to lawyers who later disappeared.
For activists facing multiple FIRs, the burden is larger. A relative of one activist said around ₹7–10 lakh has been spent on legal proceedings for eight activists, despite senior lawyers working pro bono and two facing charges under the National Security Act. Much of the money came from crowdfunding by friends and families, with some arranged through loans.