Nagpur: The affable man-next-door, 32-year-old Sameet Thakkar may count Prime Minister Narendra Modi as one of his 62,000 followers on Twitter, but his criticism of the state government on social media has made him a villain in Maharashtra. With Sameet behind bars, the Thakkar family at Nagpur calls the police action ‘broad daylight murder of democracy’.
The younger of two sons of a middle-class transporter’s family from Wathoda, Sameet has three FIRs (two in Mumbai, one in city) against him. The reigning Maha Aghadi government seems to have ensured Thakkar, an eyesore on social media, is behind bars for some time. Also, as Sameet languishes in police custody, his family is reeling in fear of mob attacks and public humiliation, if not an attack on their life and property.
Apart from the tweets, Sameet had also filed a PIL in Bombay high court to transfer the Sushantsingh Rajput case to CBI, which also had not gone down well with the state government. In the past, a media publication group too had filed a defamation suit against Sameet for social media posts questioning their financial irregularities.
“Several Shiv sainiks descended on our house and pelted stones. Police gave protection for a month but have withdrawn now. No FIR was filed on our complaint. We are living under a threat every day, every moment,” said Sameet’s elder brother Rishi. “The Shiv Sainiks are also threatening our business associates,” he said.
Rishi, who described the present political scenario as a redux of the 1975 emergency, said incarceration of his younger brother Sameet is no less than a brazen broad daylight murder of democratic rights. “Sameet is facing systematic criminalization for tweets which are nothing more than just a politically aware citizens’ voice of dissent against the government,” said Rishi, who is struggling to assuage their elderly parents, who are in trauma.
“Just plain expression of criticism is expected to be tolerated in any democratic society. Phrases ‘modern day Aurangzeb’, ‘baby penguin’ and raising questions on differential treatment to festivities of different communities were held as criminal offences. This is plain broad daylight murder of democratic rights,” said Rishi. “It’s clear police are working under political pressure,” said a hassled Rishi.
Sameet, now in custody of Sitabuldi police, will be produced before the court on Monday after completion of his second remand. “He (Sameet) is facing torture in custody, which we do not want to elaborate on, as his life too may be under threat. All we can do is to pin hope on the hearing in the Supreme Court next week,” said Rishi, as his 59-year-old father Rakesh sits beside him, anxiety writ on his face.
Sameet’s father Rakesh said he is now helplessly waiting for his innocent son to return. “Which father does not wait for his son in this kind of situation?” he said. “Sameet has no previous records, complaints or even any a quarrel in the neighbourhood,” he said.
Rishi reasoned his brother was absent from police stations despite a court order as it was not possible to travel freely due to pandemic. “My brother was to be present at Sitabuldi police station on October 13 and at Mumbai police stations on October 16. We had approached the Supreme Court on October 15. It was not easy to travel so fast in public transports due to the pandemic but our petition was dismissed for non-compliance,” said Rishi.