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Posted Online on Monday, 25 June 2007 14:35 IST

Public hearing on Police Firing, Fake Encounters and Police Harassment of the Muslim Community

Document

The Milli Gazette

24 June 2007

The Muslim community, especially the Muslim Youth, have been the target of harassment and terror at the hand of the Andhra Pradesh state police after the Mecca Masjid bomb blast in Hyderabad on 18 May 2007. In fact, the profiling of the Muslim youth as a source of disturbance, unrest and potential threat to the security and safety has been going on for quite some time along with the hightened activity aimed at the so-called war against terror. The Mecca Masjid blast became a convenient tool in the hands of the state and the police to further persecute the Muslim community.

It is significant to note at this juncture that the media was abuzz with stories about the fake encounter killings of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kausar Bi, which was the handiwork of the Gujarat police in connivance with the Hyderabad police top brass. The Supreme Court had taken active interest in this case in which three top IPS officers were already under arrest were and being questioned. In fact, fingers were being pointed at the criminal involvement of the top police brass of Hyderabad and Gujarat and the highest court of this country was forced to intervene as a result of the sheer weight of evidence against the guardians of the law who had become its prime violators.

The incidents that followed the Mecca Masjid blast were very intriguing to anyone’s commonsense. The bomb blast in the mosque, which is more than 500 years old, during the Friday prayers aroused passions among the people who had come to offer prayers. And it was natural that they would come in large numbers to protest against this ghastly act of terror. Instead of dealing with this protest with the kind of empathy it deserves, the police went on a rampage and indulged in indiscriminate firing thus killing and injuring more people than were originally killed by the blast.

It is also rare because the bomb blast took place in a Masjid where thousands of Muslims offer Namaz and Muslims lost their lives in police firing after the bomb blast. Another great fantasy that the Andhra Pradesh police weaved was the involvement of some "foreign" Muslim terrorist groups. To boost this claim the ever-alert police managed to round up a local innocent youth for interrogation.

Top police officials of AP, due to their proximity to the Hindutva forces and for personnel promotions and benefits, are targeting the Muslim youth, branding them as terrorists having connections with terrorist groups working from outside India or with the ISI. These officers are indulging in fake encounters of Muslim youth.

In this context, the Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, India (CLMCI) on 3 June 2007 organized a Public hearing at Hyderabad on the police firing after the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid, fake encounters and the police harassment of the Muslim community. The kith and kin of the victims of fake encounters, Mecca Masjid bomb blast and representatives of various peoples organizations appeared before the jury of the Public Hearing and gave the facts, expressed their concerns and grievances. Dr SAR Geelani (Professor, Delhi University), Bojja Tarakam (Senior Advocate of A.P High Court and President of Republican Party of India), Dr Rehana Sultana (President, CLMCI), Gaddar (revolutionary singer), Prof Abdul Raheem head of the department of journalism Osmania University and other prominent citizens constituted of the jury.

It was very difficult for the organizers to bring together the victims and eye-witnesses of bomb blast, victims of harassment and fake encounters to the public hearing due to the hurdles created by the local police. One of Jury members, Dr. SAR Geelani who had reached Hyderabad from Delhi, was not given the usual security provided by the state ever since the attempt on his life. On the day when he arrived at Hyderabad, the Delhi commandant of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which was providing him security in Delhi had already talked to his counterparts in the city. Despite the information from the Delhi office of the CISF there was no security for him from the Hyderabad airport. Constant calls from Dr. SAR Geelani asking for security cover fell on deaf ears. Only on the last day, two hours before he was about to leave after the hearing, security appeared maintaining they had just received orders. The same police who had feigned ignorance about his arrival in the city had two days in advance reached the hotel where he was supposed to stay to harass the hotel staff.

Public Hearing on Fake Encounters

The Public Hearing started with the report by the kith and kin of those who had died in the fake encounters as well as people under illegal detention. Sister of Mujahid Saleem (who was killed by the police during the arrest of Maulana Naseeruddin) told the jury that harassment, fake encounters, illegal detention of Muslim youth had increased sharply since the days of the demolition of Babri Masjid. There are numerous cases filed under POTA and TADA. After the Mecca Masjid bomb blast, police harassment of Muslim youths increased manifold. Sangh Parivar is working in the background to harass the people with the help of police officers. The Gujarat police arrested Maulana Naseeruddin under TADA. He was taken to Gujarat with a malicious case framed against him. Local Muslims opposed the arrest of Naseeruddin.

"It was the police brutality that ensued in this process which killed my brother. Gujarat police with the help of AP police wanted to kill Naseeruddin in a fake encounter, but their plan was foiled due to the concerted efforts of the Muslim community in Hyderabad. I strongly condemn the communal approach of the police officers, especially their single-minded targeting of Muslims."

Yasir, son of Maulana Naseeruddin, narrated the illegal custody and harassment by police of his father. Naseeruddin is now in the high security ward of the Sabarmathi Central jail, Ahmedabad. Even after three years of his arrest no trial was conducted. The charges against him are only that he made provocative statements while the reality is that Praveeen Togadia of the Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bal Thackery of the Shiv Sena had indulged in making highly provocative, religiously-sensitive statements. Both of them are still moving freely, with proper security at government cost but my father Naseeruddin was put behind bars without any proper reason. The entire case, going by the law of the land is wrong, illegal, incorrect and has scant regard for moral principles. My father was arrested only because he unflinchingly opposes US imperialism. He opposes the unilateral attack of America on the people of the world. Indian rulers do not like the people who question the anti-people nature of US imperialism and put all those people who resist US exploitation behind bars. We, the family members of Naseeruddin with all grief, sorrow and anger have lost hope of getting justice from the judiciary.

Mr. Raghunath, advocate of AP high court and Civil liberties activist, narrated the incidents of fake encounters in Andhra Pradesh: the Andhra Pradesh police started fake encounters as a strategy and policy to wean away any form of dissent way back in 1968. Judgment on Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against fake encounters is reserved by the AP high court. So far no FIR has been filed against the police involved in fake encounters notwithstanding the fact that this is statutorily binding. It has become very difficult even to perform the last rites of the persons killed in fake encounters. The strategy used by the AP Police, one is forced to say with consternation, has become the model for fake encounters which is a blatant violation of the law and the constitution.



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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
Amber pet, Hyderabad, A.P, India, 500013
Phone:-09391051586, Fax:-040-27403392, Email: clmci@hotmail.com