India

The Terror Hoax: Arrest or Abduction?

Jitendra

In an interesting turn of events, policemen in the garb of civil dress are ‘abducting’ suspects. People assuming it as abduction, are approaching the local police station where the local police show its ostentatious action to catch the ‘abductor’ and pacifies the aggrieved family with their pretentious promise to ‘trace their ward as soon as possible’. The family of the accused and other locals come to know the following day through news papers, that their ‘abducted’ men were actually accused as ‘terrorists’ and arrested by Intelligence agencies from Delhi and Mumbai.

On 21 February 2012, a Tata sumo arrived at Md. Kafeel’s shop. Aged 55, Kafeel was from Shivdhara village under Darbhanga Sadar Police Station and was a bi-cycle mechanic, running a roadside shop since more than 20 years in the town. Few men in civil dress came out from the vehicle and asked his name, address and other related information, to which Mr. Kafeel cooperated. Suddenly, they gripped Mr. Kafeel, forced him into the vehicle and took him away. The people in neighborhood watched this shocking scene and felt it as a broad day light abduction. They even followed the vehicle for a distance but the ‘abductors’ managed to escape. The agitated locals approached nearby Mabi Police Outpost (OP) where, the OP in-charge responded promptly, but it was a ‘staged effort’ meant to only please the aggrieved family members and locals. The next day, people came to know through the newspapers that Md. Kafeel was supposedly a prominent member of the Indian Mujahiddin (IM), who was involved in a recruitment drive for IM.

Md. Kafeel is a very poor man and this fact is very well reflected by the condition of his house. The dilapidated house with asbestos roof has a single hall which was converted into two rooms by   creating a division using a thick veil. Ten years ago, he had travelled to the Gulf to try his luck, but was cheated and hence returned back. His son Sarfaraz Ahmed says ‘He was given the job of a shepherd which was unacceptable to his dignity. He returned back. He didn’t even visit Patna, capital city of the state. Such an allegation is beyond our imagination’. The local people are laughing at these allegations.

Another man, Qateel Ahmed Siddaqui, 27, was picked up from Nabi Kareem area of New Delhi on 19 November 2011 when he was on the way to consult a doctor with his wife Fatima Bibi and his three-year old baby Maria. Police claim that he was lifted from Anand Vihar region on 22 November, 2011. His wife was initially under the impression that Qateel was abducted. She approached the local police station to lodge an abduction complaint, where she was not informed that he was arrested by the police. Then she informed her family members based in Darbhanga about his abduction. She came to know about Qateel through TV news where the Police accused him of being the conspirator of the Delhi blast.

Darbhanga based Nazir, Qateel’s uncle, said Delhi police had raided his house 25 days before Qateel’s arrest. They didn’t found anything yet they spread rumors in the village that his nephew was in the business of fake currency. The police tried their best to ostracize his family in the village.

Nazir, a thinly built man with a white beard, wearing Kurta-paijama says – ‘Qateel had married twice. His first divorced wife, Zeenat, was interrogated time to time but his present wife never called for’

Qateel’s father, Zafar Siddiqui, says with tears in his eyes – ‘we are facing the condition of starvation how could my son get caught with 1.5 lakh currency?’

Another youth, Assad-Ur-Rehman alias Mintu, 21, was arrested from Madhubani. Police and Media alleged him as ‘Dilkash’ who had not returned to his house since 12 years. His family refutes this charge. His family was living in Immabari of Darbhanga town, where he had completed his schooling and later went to Trivandrum to pursue engineering. The school teachers also confirmed family’s claim about his life in the city and his student days in school.

 Another youth named, Gayoor Ahmed Jamali of Darbar Muhalla, Madhubani district was also abducted by the Police in civil dress.

Role of Local police

The state chief minister, Nitish Kumar, leaves no stone unturned to take on center. In this case also, he criticized the role of intelligence agencies that picked up the youths from the state without taking local police in confidence.

It would be nearly impossible for any agency to act in broad day light without taking into confidence, the local police.

Larger issues

The questionarises after such ‘abductions’ is the time span in which the accused would be tried in court. If the Police have strong evidence to prove these men guilty in the court, then they can be tried or produced in fast track courts.

The anti-social role being played by the police is also inviting large scale criticism. The way different agencies are attempting to ostracize the suspect’s family, as was seen in the case of Qateel, is disturbing and objectionable for many.

In the adjoining state of Uttar Pradesh, newly elected chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has recently announced the release of those blasts suspects who are in jails due to lack of evidences. It would certainly give a ‘healing touch’ to the community.

Out of 13 arrests, six are in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, four in Bangalore prison and three in Mumbai.

(This is the second and last part of the report. For the first part follow the following link – http://beyondheadlines.in/2012/04/north-bihar-terror-hub-or-terror-hullabaloo-by-media/ and this article was first published in newzfirst.com)

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