New Delhi: The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), an umbrella organisation, on Friday demanded the immediate release and bail of documentary filmmaker Vishal Singh on medical grounds, alleging that his health has deteriorated due to inadequate medical care in prison.

At a press conference in New Delhi on September 18, speakers associated with CASR alleged systemic medical negligence in prisons and called for accountability of prison officials, doctors and police personnel allegedly responsible for denying inmates proper healthcare.

Singh had documented the lives of migrant workers and worked on films and projects concerning people at the margins of Indian society before his arrest. Singh has been jailed in Lucknow since June 29, 2025. He was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Delhi in connection with a conspiracy case over his alleged links with the proscribed CPI (Maoist). 

Activist Atikur Rahman, who spoke about his own experience in custody, alleged that he suffered severe medical complications while lodged in Mathura Jail after being arrested while travelling to Hathras to participate in a movement seeking justice for Manisha Valmiki.

Rahman alleged that seriously ill prisoners were routinely given what he described as “water injections” in the name of painkillers, even under the supervision of doctors. He further claimed that although he had been referred to AIIMS, he was repeatedly taken back to the Mathura Jail hospital.

According to Rahman, it took 42 days and court intervention for him to be shifted to AIIMS. By then, he said, he had suffered a paralytic attack and had nearly died.

He also alleged that doctors at Lucknow Jail subsequently told him he was fortunate to be alive, claiming that “dead” had already been written on his discharge papers.

Rahman called for public attention to what he described as systemic medical negligence in prisons and demanded that Singh be granted bail on medical grounds.

Shyamveer, another speaker at the press conference, alleged that social inequality, corruption and class exploitation were reflected more starkly inside prisons.

He claimed that prison facilities increasingly operated according to the “law of money”, alleging that influential prisoners had access to resources while ordinary inmates were subjected to poor food and inadequate facilities.

Shyamveer further alleged that prisoners who complained about conditions or sought access to jail manuals were subjected to physical punishment. He also criticised the alleged use of central investigative agencies against activists and referred to Singh’s documentary work on the impact of the Delhi riots.

Activist Hem Mishra placed Singh’s case within what he described as a broader pattern of state repression against activists involved in democratic rights, labour, environmental and anti-displacement movements.

Mishra cited the deaths in custody of Pandu Narote and Professor G.N. Saibaba, alleging that denial of adequate medical treatment has become a means of repression in cases where activists are not killed in encounters.

He also referred to cases involving the BK-16 accused and anti-CAA/NRC activists, alleging that authorities have used criminal cases and stringent laws to target dissent.

Mishra said Singh’s documentary work on migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown and victims of the Delhi riots had brought attention to marginalised communities.

Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan alleged that India’s constitutional and democratic institutions were failing to adequately protect prisoners and dissenters.

Bhushan argued that prolonged incarceration without bail, particularly when accompanied by deteriorating health, raises serious constitutional concerns. He also criticised what he described as the excessive control of law-enforcement and regulatory agencies by the executive.

He called for courts to order regular independent audits of prisons to ensure that the constitutional rights of inmates are protected.

N Sachin, referring to the poetry of Manoranjan Byapari, said the testimonies presented at the press conference reflected what he described as a deeply troubling state of affairs in which the judicial process itself could become a source of prolonged suffering.

He also referred to the deaths of Professor S.A.R. Geelani and Professor G.N. Saibaba and appealed to citizens to raise their voices in support of Singh.

The CASR reiterated four demands: the immediate release and medical bail of Vishal Singh; an end to denial of adequate healthcare to prisoners; an end to what it described as the weaponisation of central agencies and laws such as the UAPA and NSA against activists, journalists and marginalised communities; and punitive action against police, doctors and prison officials allegedly responsible for Singh’s medical condition.