By TCN Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: An unconditional apology and proper compensation have been sought from the Government for the innocent Muslim youths who were tortured and falsely implicated in the Mecca Masjid blast case. Hyderabad-based Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, which has constantly fought for the terror probe victims, also demanded immediate withdrawal of the blast cases registered against these youths.
At a press conference on 17th January in Hyderabad, Lateef Mohd Khan, General Secretary, Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, came down heavily on the Andhra Pradesh police, investigating agencies, and both state and central government for biased probe in terror cases including the Mecca Masjid blast case.
“Now that the RSS role is exposed in the Hyderabad blast and several other blasts such as Nanded, Jalna, Parbhani, Bhopal, Malegaon, Samjhauta Express, Ajmer, Modasa, Margoa (Goa), and Delhi, the government of India should realize as to who the real terrorists and anti-nationals are,” said Lateef Mohd Khan addressing the press.
In the light of exposure of real hands behind the terror blasts in the country, Khan demanded the government to come up with measures to win the confidence of the Muslim community, which was the only victim – both of bombs and probes. Members of the community were killed in terror blasts and then scores of other members were picked, tortured and put behind bars.
“It is the high time for government of India to rebuild the confidence of Muslims in the secular and democratic fabric, because this community became the victim of Bomb terror, Mob terror, State terror and RSS terror. It was the Muslim community which suffered in all ways i.e. they became the target of the blasts, they lost their lives in the blasts, they were blamed for these blasts and also arrested for these blasts and are still languishing in the jails across the country.”
At least now the government should realize that the investigating agencies are biased. Because of them India is defamed at international level. Many innocent people lost their lives because of the police and investigative agencies. Therefore, it is the time to apologize with Muslim community and assure them that these kinds of blunders and conspiracies will not be repeated against them in future. The assurance should not be merely verbal but it should be practically implemented. It is the duty of the government of India to protect and implement the fundamental duties provided by the constitution of India, he said.
“We want to ask the Prime Minister of India, why the Indian government and their state governments are hesitating to apologise for the wrong doing of the government and their agencies. Due to this Muslims are still suffering. When the government of Australia can apologize to the Indian citizen Dr. Haneef for detaining him in false charges, they have even compensated him with the job and billions of dollars to protect their country’s democratic dignity in the world, then why can’t the India, which is said to be the largest democratic country in the world, apologize and offer damage compensation to its own citizens, when it has been proved that they are innocents. It is the failure of the republic India to protect the idea of India,” Khan said.
Talking to TwoCircles.net, Lateef Khan said that his civil rights group has filed a petition in the City Civil Court to claim the damages for the victims of the police torture. We demand explanation from the government of AP as to why the government is defending the accused police officers involved in the illegal detention, torture, arrest and implicating of Muslim youths in false cases, he said.
Khan informed that his petition is backed by eminent rights activists Teesta Setelvad and Harsh Mandar.
Apart from CLMC leaders including Lateef Md. Khan, Dr. Rafat Seema, Kaneez Fathima, S.Q. Masood, A. Srinivas, Adv M. Mandakini who were present at the press meet, some victims of Khaki terror and their families were also there.
Some of the Mecca Masjid blast accused who were acquitted by the court, including Dr. Ibrahim Ali Junaid, Md. Rayeesuddin and Abdul Raheem also spoke to the media.
Dr. Ibrahim Ali Junaid said, ‘I have undergone severe torture during illegal detention. The policemen plucked the hair of my beard and abused me for reading Qura’an. I lost one year of my education. Even after acquittal from the court, I face lot of problems even today; police come every now and then and disturb me and my family. I lost 2-3 jobs because of this stigma. I demand from the government of India to apologize, punish and book case against the policemen who tortured us’.
Md. Rayeesuddin said, ‘I lost my job after this stigma, now I demand the Chief Minister of AP, Kiran Kumar Reddy, to apologize with us, till now he has not apologized, we also demand to provide us government jobs’.
Abdul Raheem said, ‘After implicating me in false cases, I am socially boycotted. What will happen if the government apologizes now and compensate, my dignity will not come back. I want the government to book case and punish the police officers who were involved in illegal detention and torture, send them to jail and treat them in the manner they treated us.’
Major demands of CLMC
* Apologize unconditionally to the whole Muslim community and particularly to the people who became the target of RSS and police terror.
* Apologize to the youth who were falsely implicated in terror and anti-national cases.
* Issue the GOs for the withdrawal of false cases against the youth i.e. FIR No. 198/2007 of Ramgopalpet PS, 75/2007 of CCS, and 100/2007 of CCS and the cases registered since 2004.
* Withdraw the government pleader in City Civil Court against the suit filed for compensation, admit the mistake, pay compensation and punish the accused police officers.
* Investigate, expose and arrest the RSS pracharaks of Hyderabad involved in providing local logistical support to RSS pracharak Swamy Aseemanand involved in bomb blasts.
* Register the case against the Hyderabad police officers who falsely implicated the Muslim youth and tortured them inhumanly, and misguided the whole investigation.
* Compensate the victims of police torture by paying them Rs 20 lakh each for the damages.
* Rehabilitate the victims of khaki terror.
* Re-investigate all the bomb blasts cases from the beginning through CBI.
* Probe the role of Hyderabad police officers by CBI because there is nexus between Hyderabad police and RSS pracharaks, and also with other states police.
* Stop suspecting Bengali speaking Muslims living in Hyderabad.
* Close torture cells and dissolve the special investigation teams especially made to target the Muslims.