Public Hearing on Police Harassment after Mecca Masjid Bomb Blast
Mother of Ibrahim Junaid (Arifunnisa) narrated the ill-treatment of her son by the Special Investigation Cell. Ibrahim Junaid is a final year medical student of Hyderabad. The Special Investigation Cell (SIT) on the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid called Junaid to their office on 30th May 2007 at 11 a.m. for interrogation. He was questioned by 15 to 20 officers (while the SIC actually consists of only 5 to 6 members). He was detained for seven hours at SIC headquarters on issues other than the bomb blast. None of the officers revealed their identity.
All of them violated all the guidelines set by the Supreme Court while questioning a person. Interrogating officials blamed the Muslim youth, defamed Muslim community and Muslim spiritual leaders. They threatened the people not to approach the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) and Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee India (CLMCI) and warned against demanding CBI enquiry into the police firing after the bomb blast. The aim of the police officials was not interrogation or a genuine desire to get the facts, but only to abuse, terrorize, harass and blame the innocent youth, attributing false impressions, while branding them anti-national elements having connections with ISI or some other terrorist groups. Surprisingly, Mr. Junaid was a member of the fact-finding committee constituted by various people’s organizations which visited Mecca Masjid on 20th May 2007 after the bomb blast.
Mother of Junaid broke down while recounting how her son was repeatedly questioned by police about the blast when all he had done was to offer prayers there.
Revolutionary singer Gaddar remarked that the Central and State Governments are themselves fake as they are serving the interests of imperialists and not the people of India. The Governments are targeting 20 crore Dalits, 10 crore Adivasis and 14 crore Muslims in this country who are opposing the imperialist policies and fighting for social justice. Condemning the continuous harassment of Muslims, balladeer Gaddar said a fear psychosis was being created among the minorities.
He blamed both the Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh governments for promoting fake encounters and in fake encounters A1 is Modi, A2 is Raj Shekhar Reddy A3 are the DGPs and IG intelligence of both the states. He gave the example of Maulana Naseeruddin and said that he has been falsely implicated in the case and detained in Sabarmati jail. The arrest and detention of Moulana Naseeruddin expose the nexus of Modi and Rajshekar Reddy Govts. It is not only a nexus at the level of police, there is a political nexus also he said. He said that the identity of Muslims is under threat.
Public Hearing on Police firing immediately after Mecca Masjid Bomb Blast
The hearing on Police firing and fake encounters was organised by the Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, India (CLMCI) at Madina Education Centre, Nampally. The line of investigation into the Mecca Masjid blast case, confining the probe to Muslims alone, came in for strong criticism by speakers at the public hearing. Mr. Slam Majeed was offering prayer (namaz) at Mecca Masjid when the bomb blast took place. He said: "I suffered injuries on my back and head due to the blast. On hearing the big sound due to the bomb blast people offering namaz started running out frantically. I was shifted to Owaisis hospital for medical help."
Mr. Khader, eyewitness said: After receiving a phone call immediately after the blast, I went to the spot because my sons offer namaz at Mecca Masjid regularly. People came out of the Masjid moving away in fear. Some of them moved towards Pista House and Asra Hospital. Police started firing. We do not know who ordered the firing on the panic-stricken people. Neither the police officials nor the government nor the media has given the correct number of people who died due to police firing. It is true that more people got killed in police firing than the bomb blast. One victim, Saleem was shot dead by a single hit.
Ms. Radha (activist, Mahila Chetana and member of Fact Finding Team) said that on the day of the bomb blast police took the law into their hands. They opened fire indiscriminately. One should definitely look into the conspiratory role of the police behind the blast. Police used Goebles’ propaganda to hide the real facts. It is certain that more people got killed in the police firing than the blast.
Mr. Baba, an eyewitness of the police firing, said that police opened fire on the people who were returning to their houses; police aimed at the head and chest and upper parts of the body by using SLR. The police story that a mob was going to attack a petrol pump is wrong, this story was fabricated to justify the brutal killings of Muslim youths. He told that he himself counted eight dead bodies of the victims of police firing at Asra Hospital.
SAR Geelani, Delhi University lecturer, said the police first accused the person and later try to gather evidence against him/her. He wondered how a person supposed to have triggered the blast be foolish enough to leave behind his SIM card. Only a proper enquiry would unravel who was behind the blast. Asking as to why no case was registered against policemen, he ridiculed the police claim that rubber bullets were used even when TV channels were showing people falling dead. Indian police and investigating agencies probing terror attacks work with pre-conceived notions. They target the Muslim community and the state and Union governments are encouraging this trend by remaining mute spectators. Prof. Geelani found fault with the police for blaming only Muslims for terrorist activity anywhere in the country even before any evidence was found. "The police department and other premier investigating agencies are infested with officers having RSS, Bajrang Dal and VHP ideologies," Prof. Geelani said at the public hearing. According to him, it is the duty of the police to suspect each and every "militant organization" when a blast takes place. But our police and agencies jump to the conclusion immediately after a bomb blast, that it is the handiwork of Muslims. They don't even think of the Bajrang Dal, RSS and the VHP as possible suspects. In fact they don't like to take these names," Prof. Geelani said adding: that the police works with a pre-conceived notion can be gauged by the fact that they announced that they found the SIM card of the cell phone used to trigger blast at Mecca Masjid and that the chip belonged to one Shahid Bilal. Why would persons who meticulously plan such a blast leave behind the chip, or in the first case purchase it in the name of a Muslim. It is a clear case of communal forces purchasing a chip in the name of a Muslim to blame the community, he said.
Prof Abdul Raheem while speaking on this occasion raised the question: who gave the order of the police firing, why was the SLR used on civilians to kill them, why the deployment of Greyhounds force which is usually used for the Naxalite is a big question mark on the intention of state Govt. He said that the main aim of indiscriminate firing on the people was to suppress and to create a fear psychosis so that nobody comes out to protest. He said that somebody has to own the responsibility of the incident, and he said that govt and the Chief Minister of AP were morally responsible.
Senior Advocate of AP High Court Bojja Tarakum pointed out that more people had died in the police firing than due to the blast. It is a highly condemnable inhuman act. The state government should take the responsibility for the whole incident. He advised the people not to be silent spectators to the harassment meted out to them. If you keep silent you will definitely be targeted. He exhorted the people who have been targets of police harassment to register FIRs against the police firing. He also offered legal aid to those who want to fight for justice. He was confident about the fight for justice and exhorted the people not to lose hope.
Conclusion
The jury reached the following conclusions:
» Proper investigation of the bomb blast and police firing has not been conducted by the Government.
» Police firing was indiscriminate and without any provocation.
» Police are trying to shield the culprits.
» Criminal Prosecution should be conducted on all the police officers involved in fake encounters.
» Criminal Prosecution must be started on all the police officers involved in firing immediately after the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid.
» It is high time the entire Muslim community fought for justice.
This public hearing was convened by Lateef Mohammad Khan, General Secretary Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee India (CLMCI) on 3rd June 2007 at Hyderabad. He called upon the entire community to speak up, while quoting the great revolutionary poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz:
Speak, yours lips are free
Speak it is your own tongue
Speak, speak whatever you may speak
Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee - India
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