Uttar Pradesh uses NSA as cricket fight turns communal

MEERUT: A month after a cricket match between teenagers snowballed into communal clashes in restive Purbaliyan village of Muzaffarnagar, sections of the stringent National Security Act (NSA) have been invoked against three men of the minority community, one of who is a 65-year-old. Members of the community have termed police action as one-sided.
On August 21, a fight between two boys from different communities had led to clashes over several days between the communities. Former village pradhan Shakar Ali said, “It was just a small fight between kids with little communal overtones, but was made to look like a big communal clash in order to settle scores with minority families. No action was taken against the majority community.”

On August 22, Sumit Pal, father of the other boy, filed an FIR against a dozen named minority men and 20 unidentified ones under sections 452 (house trespass in order to hurt), 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 427 (causing damage) of the IPC.

On August 24, Abid Ahmad, servant of one Shamsher Ahmad, was allegedly beaten in the farm by two masked men.

Local activist Nilofer Chaudhary said, “Soon, senior police officers and a large police force began pouring into the village and later a Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) contingent was also called in.”

Waseem Chaudhary, a relatives of Shamsher Ahmad said, “Police and PAC jawans entered homes and broke furniture and terrorised family members.”

Later, another FIR was filed against 26 minority men under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the IPC apart from the previous FIR’s sections.

TPS Pahel, SHO of Mansoorpur police station said, “Another section was later included, for attempt to murder, in the second FIR filed on August 24 against 26 persons.”

While Shamsher’s brother Waseem Chaudhary blamed right-wing groups for attacking the servant Abid, the groups alleged it was a ploy to counter the earlier FIR. “Minority groups had spread a rumour that Hindus had thrashed a Muslim. Minority people began attacking everyone on the roads,” said Sumit Pal, the original complainant.

On the basis of the FIRs, in all 38 men were booked by name and 20 were unidentified, out of which 28 are in jail including Shamsher, Mehboob Ahmad and Aftab, who have been slapped with NSA.

Circle Officer, Khatauli, Rajeev Kumar Singh told TOI, “Abid later confessed that his own employer Shamsher had prompted him to act as victim so that a counter FIR could be filed. So NSA proceedings against him were logical.”

Families of those jailed however rubbish police claims. Mohsin, brother of Shamsher said, “Police arrested Shamsher who had no role in what is being termed as a conspiracy. When his nephew Mehboob who was not even in the village at the time of the flare-up went to the police station to look for Shamsher, he was also detained. Abid was forced to change his statement and when he did not relent his name was also included in the FIR.”