BeyondHeadlines Special Correspondent
New Delhi. A documentary film named ‘After the Storm’ based on 2002 Gujarat riots was screened at a press premiere at Press Club of India. The documentary questioned communalization of Police Forces and fabrication of false cases against one particular community.
Addressing the media advocate Prashant Bhushan said that communalization of Indian police force is a big problem and the root cause of fabricated cases which destroyed many innocent lives across India.
Bhusan added, In fact in many cases Hindu terror groups were behind but due to lack of proper investigation innocent Muslims had suffered. By fabricating such cases police are actually creating ground for making real terrorists from Muslim community.
Director Shubhradeep Chakravorty said in his submission that while making this documentary he had realized that such false cases are not unique to one or two Indian states but are happening all over the country. He also demanded compensation and financial help by the state and the community for persons acquitted in false cases to build their lives all over again.
Documentary After the Storm narrates stories of seven former terror accused set free by various law courts across India. Mukhtar Ahmed, Md. Fassiuddin Ahmed, Umar Farooque, Umar Farooque, Moutasim Billah, Harith Ansari, Md. Musarrat Hussain ‘Bobby’ and Shaik Abdul Kaleem are among thousands of Muslim youth arrested, falsely accused and then acquitted in terror cases. The film speaks their ordeal and miseries and shed light on their current fight for survival.Forty-nine years old Mukhtar Ahmed from Bangalore was in retail business of readymade garments when he was picked by Central Bureau of Investigation on 3 September 1993 under Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and then framed in the Chennai RSS (Hindu rightwing organisation) regional headquarters blast case. In all 17 persons were arrested in this case. He was acquitted by all the court and final judgement came from Supreme Court on 6 December 2010. In all he spent 6 years in jail and remained in Chennai on conditional bail for 8 years away from his family and business. Though he achieved some success in re-establishing his business but still his struggle for survival is on. Md. Fassiuddin Ahmed from Hyderabad was doing his graduation when he was picked on 1 September, 2007 by Hyderabad police as a suspect in the blast at Gokul chat and Lumbini Park. Ironically his cousin died in one of the blasts. He was shown arrested on 5 September, 2007. He spent 6 months in jail and finally secured his acquittal in February 2008. Though he finished his graduation somehow but mental trauma and fear still continues.
Twenty-eight years old Umar Farooque was picked by Ahemdabad police on 11 May, 2oo6 in the conspiracy case to kill the rightwing Hindutva leaders. He was shown arrested on 9June, 2006 along with 5 others. After spending four and half years in jail he finally secured the acquittal on 29 July, 2010 but his life stand ruined today. Currently he is unemployed and his family is debt ridden.
On 5 March, 2008 engineering student Moutasim Billah was sitting in front of his house in old Hyderabad when he was picked by the police and then along with 20 others he was framed in Hyderabad conspiracy case. He spent 6 month in jail and then got the acquittal on 31 December 2008. Though he spent relatively shorter time in the jail but his education got ruined and he is yet to finish his engineering and marriages of his sisters are not fixed due to his social image.
Harith Ansari is son of Dr. Shakeel Ahmed; a prominent Ahmedabad based social activist and politician. Harith was in the profession of medical transcription and was doing well. He was picked on 7 Dec, 2003 from his home and his arrest was shown 11 Dec, 2003. Harith along with 5 others were framed in Conspiracy to conduct bomb blast in prominent buildings of Ahmadabad. After remaining 6 years in jail he finally got acquitted on 12 Dec, 2009. Currently he is unemployed and struggling in life.
Thirty-five years old Md. Musarrat Hussain ‘Bobby’ was working in a printing press when he was picked on 5 March 2002 and shown arrested on 7 March 2002 under the charge of firing and killing policemen at American Centre, Kolkata. He spent 8 years in jail and remained on death row for 5 years. Finally Kolkata High Court acquitted him on 7 Feb 2010. His family is in bad shape and he along with his two daughters and wife took shelter in the house of his father-in-law.
Shaik Abdul Kaleem is the person who was credited to influence Swami Aseemanand by his behaviour and prompted him to confess the Hindu terror plots. He was a paramedical student when he was picked first time by the police on 1 June 2007 but his arrest was shown on 7 June 2007. He was framed in Macca Masjid blast case and fake SIM cards case. After spending one and half years in jail he secured acquittal on 20 Sep 2008(SIM cards case) and 22 Jan 2009(RDX case). Currently he is studying law.
