Kashmir parents protest against "disappearances"

Mon Oct 30, 2006

SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Dozens of parents protested in Kashmir's main city on Monday to demand information about their children who they said had disappeared since a rebellion broke out in the Himalayan region in 1989.

The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), an independent group representing the parents of missing people, demonstrated at a park in Srinagar, Kashmir's summer capital, carrying photographs of the people they said had disappeared.

"At least return bodies of our dear ones, so that we can give them a proper funeral," cried 55-year-old housewife, Sondari, who uses only one name, holding a photograph of her son.

Sondari and others were wearing white headbands carrying the names of their relatives. Other demonstrators held placards saying "Stop disappearances."

APDP says 8,000 to 10,000 people have disappeared since 1989.

"All of the them vanished after their arrest by security forces," Parveena Ahanger, the president of APDP, said.

Authorities deny the allegations and say their investigations found most missing people had crossed the heavily militarised Line of Control into Pakistani Kashmir for arms training.

"Many of them have crossed the LoC and some have joined militant ranks," Kashmir's law minister, Abdul Hamid Qarra, said at a function last week.

Authorities say violence has steadily decreased since India and Pakistan, who have fought two wars over Kashmir, began a peace process in 2004.

"During the past one year there have been the lowest of all custodial deaths and disappearances since the inception of militancy in the state," Ghulam Nabi Azad, chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said in a statement.

More than 45,000 people have been killed in 17 years of violence in the region.

Confessions dry up, ATS case falling apart

Menaka Rao, Indian Express, October 27, 2006

7/11: With two more accused citing police lapses, it’s left with only three key statements

Mumbai, OCTOBER 26 : Weeks after claiming to have got to the bottom of the 7/11 train blast case, the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) seems to be losing its grip on the case. Two more accused have laid the grounds for retracting their confessional statements, leaving the Mumbai police with only three of the 11 confessions it had.

Thursday marked another setback for the ATS in the MCOCA court after six accused appeared before it (five were remanded to police custody, while one was remanded to judicial custody). Two of them—Sajid Ansari and Abdul Wahiduddin— said they were made to sign statements “involuntarily”.

“If a person is made to sign on a document and not allowed to read it, it can be said the statement is made involuntarily. If this is proved in court, the confession statement would not hold,” explained defence lawyer Amin Solkar.

Ansari, who was allegedly among those who assembled the bombs which were used on 7/11, told special MCOCA judge M S Bhatkar, “Kal mera confessional statement liya gaya tha. Saab ne mujhe padhne nahi diya. Sign le liya (Yesterday, they recorded my confession statement. The DCP (Sanjay Mohite) did not allow me to read my statement before signing it).’’

Wahiduddin, who has been accused of harbouring Pakistani militants in the city and also arranging their escape, told the court that his signature was obtained twice on documents, the contents of which isn’t known to him. “Do baar mera sign liya gaya. Kya likha tha malum nahi (My signature was taken twice. I don’t know what was written in those documents).’’

Soon after these statements were made, special public prosecutor Raja Thackeray told the court the confessions of the six produced in court had not been taken. “I have received instructions (from the officer). Confession has not been taken,” he said.

But this contradicted what ATS joint commissioner K P Raghuvanshi said later at a press conference. He said the confessions of the four accused, Mohammed Ali, Sajid Ansari, Naveed Hussain and Mohammed Majeed Shafi had been recorded.

Refuting defence allegations, Raghuvanshi also insisted that MCOCA procedures were followed while recording confession statements. “This investigation has been carried out as per the guidelines prescribed under MCOCA. I can assure you that proper procedure was followed,” he said. He also denied allegations of torture of the accused. “None of the men we’ve kept in our custody has complained to the court of police torture,” he said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/15476.html

Violence in Karnataka: Police Watch as Minority is Targeted

Sunday, 15 October 2006

Coastal Karnataka -- especially Mangalore Hubli and Hasan -- are very tense flames as Bajrang Dal activists on the rampage against youth from the minority community with a reluctant police allegedly not stemming those committing arson and loot. It is critical that the Centre puts pressure on the government of Karnataka to take adequate steps to protect lives and properties of all citizens irrespective of community, caste, class or gender. Developments in the past few months after the present government took over has increased apprehensions that mob leaders and law breakers enjoy state support and patronage and therefore the lives of innocent persons from the minority communities are under severe threat. Already, illegal rounding up of dozens of Muslim youth from these areas and loot and arson of minority properties—homes and businesses on Friday and Saturday – have created a climate of fear.

Fortunately, unlike Gujarat, robust local protests from different groups, communal harmony forums and minority groups have been heard from different parts of Karnataka putting a spotlight on the issue. The Karnataka Forum for Dignity and the Karnataka Komu Souhara Vedike
(Karnataka Communal Harmony Forum) have been protesting these attacks since Friday.

Today the Dignity Forum held a press conference in Bangalore and tomorrow another press conference is scheduled at the Bangalore Press Club at 1.30 p.m.

Teesta Setalvad
Co-Editor, Communalism Combat

Annexed hereto is the Memorandum submitted to the Karnataka Governor by the Karnataka Forum for Dignity


KARNATAKA FORUM FOR DIGNITY

Date: 6th Oct, 2006

To,
The Hon'ble Home Minister
Govt. of Karnataka
Bangalore

Dear Sir,

Sub: Attrocities against Minorities. When we read it in Communalism Combat about Two years ago that Gujarat is going to be repeated in Karnataka, no body could believe it. Now, on one can deny it as things are unwinding in the similar fashion. Sangh Parivar had declared in Gujarat that it is a laboratory and similar model will be repeated in other states as it is proved to be successful to acquire power.

We have been bringing to the notice of the Government from time to time the modus operandi and scaling upwards the targeted attack on the Minorities in a well planned and monitored manner. Rather Implementation of the successful model of Gujarat. When we found that the Government is mum on these issues, to open the eyes of the Government we conducted a massive Rally in Bangalore on 19th May 2006, wherein nearly 20,000 people participated. On that day Hon'ble Chief Minister invited us for a discussion and assured us immediate action against the culprits.

The fact is that no action has been taken, instead Police Offices of their choice have been placed in Sensitive areas. Whenever they find no issues to create trouble, their favourite topic is cow slaughter. Here again the fact is that no cow slaughter is taking place within the criminal ambit of the law.

On 4th October, 06 evening the Bajrangis, self appointed police, in two separate jeeps chased one mini lorry till Bunder, Mangalore presuming it carrying unlawful cattle for slaughter. The driver of the Lorry escaped somehow fearing for his life. Being desperate of not getting their pray they attacked three innocent boys who were retuning from night prayers.

As the boys shouted for help to save their life and resisted their attack, these people ran away and enforced a bundh next day. Though the response for the Government sponsored bundh on 4th, which evoked very good response through out the state had no response in Mangalore, However the bundh called by these criminal elements on 5th was total, which shows how people are scared of these Criminal elements.

The bundh followed by leashing of terror against Minorities in pure and climax Gujarat model. The Police were busy terrorizing and arresting Minorities all over Mangalore and Buntwal taluk from their residences and even from the Masjids. On the other hand the Bajrangis were let loose and their looting and arson continued till their satiating point, only then the Police turned against them to eye wash the public.

If you have any apprehensions about what we have stated above, you may conduct independent enquiries and you will find the stunning fact all the business establishments destroyed were of Minorities and secondly the perpetrators of these kinds of Crimes are charged with non-cognizable offences and the minorities are charged with Cognizable offences, wherein they should languish in jails for no fault of theirs. If you call for the reports of such incidents in the past you will find the same stunning facts.

Therefore, we hereby request you to send sufficient forces to protect the life and property of Minorities and to take immediate action against these criminal forces and the Police Officers who are abetting these criminals.

Thanking you.

Yours Sincerely

Moh. Sharif

For Karnataka Forum for Dignity

Barbaric act and Damage by Police in Ullal

S.O. News service, Mangalore, 12 Oct

The onset of non-violence on Thursday morning in Mangalore and across created a big uproar. Many shops and houses destroyed, robbery in Muslim houses in full swing. Muslims were attacked brutally. Unfortunately the lawmakers seemed to take pleasure in supporting these anti social elements.

The Kannada daily news paper Vartha Bharti which is published from Mangalore illustrated in the front page as to how the police of Ullal disturbed the Muslim women and children and the robbery is taking place. On the print edition of 9th October Mokachari area under the Ullal police station on Friday and Chipla area under Konaji police station on Sunday showed how the police treated the peoples of the native place. According to the news paper in Mokachari area the police forcefully entered 6-7 houses and destroyed everything from door to TV, chairs, cupboards, etc,. People suffered great loss there. The local people told that the police treated them like Bajrang Dal people and forcefully gained entry into their houses and beat the sleeping youths and later took them to jails. They also punished the small children to instill fear in them

There was a report in the newspaper of a Muslim named Mohiddin Abba from Mokachari area, he told reporters that on Friday evening at 6.25pm, “he was sitting in his house the door was closed. 15 policemen entered his house and started kicking the door thereby breaking it. They started to destroy all the things like cupboard, showcase, TV and all other furniture. The reporter saw that the TV and show case was totally broken, door and window glasses were also broken in the house. He added that the police asked where the youths are. When they didn’t find anyone in the house they left. While going outside a rickshaw was standing outside the policemen even destroyed the rickshaw fully. The members of the house told that the destroyed things are still there in the house anybody can come and see it.

The same treatment was also done to Abdur Razzaq’s house, neighbor of Mohiddin Abba. The wife of Abdul Razzaq, patient, told the newspapers that how the police entered the house and started destroying whatever they could lay their hands on and then took her sons Mustafa and Shamshuddin to the Jail. The women told that now there is no one in his family to go to court and obtain bail for them.

The owner of the house Baitul Aziz which is near to the Abdul Razzaq’s house told that the police threw stones on his window and kicked the gates but they were unsuccessful to enter the house, Reporters saw that the window was totally damaged and the gate too. Baptist D’souza who leaves in this told that after seeing the police he closed the door of the house but the police entered in his house and broke the windows, here too the window pain is totally damaged.

Nearly 20 policemen entered in the house of U T Basheer and destroyed the TV set and the furniture. They jailed two boys who were sleeping and punished rest of the children present at home. Entry was gained forcefully by breaking the door.

Khadija Amma of Fattu Bhau cottage, her house also police entered in the compound and broke the glasses of two cars which were parked in the compound with their stick and then entered the house and broke the TV and the radio.

Taheera Ismail, neighbor of Khadija Amma, her house was also targeted by the police and then police has arrested his son Muhammed Ashfaque at mid night who is the student of Computer Science.

The people of Mokkacheri are under threat and full of fear. Police have instilled fear which can be read in the public’s face. Local people said that nothing would have happened in these areas if not for the polices’ barbaric act. Some persons told that all these activities were done by Ullal Police especially by police inspector Jagga (Jagdish) and his members.

Relatives of 7/11 accused allege torture, probe ordered

Mumbai, October 10:

Maharashtra’s Director General of Police P S Pasricha is looking into the allegations of torture and brutality by the Mumbai police in the 7/11 investigations after relatives of the accused and suspects filed sworn affidavits with the Prime Minister’s Office and Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s office.

The DGP was asked by Deshmukh to look into the allegations of torture. The CM forwarded the copies of 10 affidavits to DGP Pasricha in the last week of September. Pasricha said, “I recently received the affidavits. It needs a thorough probe. I can’t say anything about it unless I have looked into the matter in detail.”

After the families filed the affidavits in September, a delegation of eight Muslim MPs had met the Chief Minister. The police were then instructed not to harass the Muslim community in general and the city police chief, A N Roy, circulated a letter to the Muslim leaders in Urdu, asking them to contact him in case of any complaints or grievances.

The relatives, including those of the alleged kingpins Faisal and Muzammil Sheikh, alleged that police used “fourth-degree” methods, holding women and old relatives hostage to extract confessions from the accused or ensure the arrests of suspects.

“Such methods were used during the investigation of 1993 blasts as well.

These people have been brave to come forward and file affidavits. These affidavits will obviously hold,” said human rights activist advocate Maharukh Adenwalla.

Faisal Sheikh, who allegedly planted the bomb in the Jogeshwari train, and his brother Muzammil were arrested on July 27. However, the family’s nightmare began on July 20 when the police raided their Mira Road residence at 9:30 pm.

As per the affidavit filed by their 61-year-old father, Ata-ur Rehman Sheikh, some officers claiming to be from ATS, picked him up and detained him at the Kurla ATS office (police station) for several days.

“In the police station, the officers tied me on the floor and mercilessly beat me up with belts and sticks in front of my sons so as to extract their confessions. They brought my wife, my daughter Aliya and my daughter-in-law Rifah with my grandchildren to the police station and would parade them before the two. The officers would beat them badly in front of our eyes, foul-mouthing us,’’ said Sheikh. The womenfolk too were detained at the police station throughout the day until Faisal and Muzammil signed on their confessions, he says.

Rifah (27) has been living with her in-laws since her marriage with Rahil Shaikh in 2000. According to the family, Rahil has been working in London as a software engineer for the past seven months. The ATS claims that Rahil was in touch with Rizwan Daware who allegedly organised the funds for the blasts.

According to the affidavit filed by Rifah, the police threatened her that unless she made a call to her husband, her husband’s sister and mother would be arrested.

“On August 11, I was taken before my sons who were made to stand handcuffed before me. One officer threatened me that the womenfolk were outside and they will be stripped naked if I do not remove my clothes before my sons and police officers. The officer brought some other arrested accused also and I was paraded naked before them,” Sheikh said in his affidavit.

On the same day, Rifah was brought in by the ATS. “I was asked to drop the burkha before Faisal and Muzammil. I could see Muzammil behind bars, banging his fists on the wall and saying, nahi nahi,’’ she said.

Another family who allegedly went through the trauma is the Qureshi family. The eldest son Abdus Subhan Qureshi (34) was a member of the banned organisation SIMI before 2000 and the police had been looking for him in the wake of 7/11 blasts.

The seven affidavits filed by each family member, including the patriarch of the family Usman Qureshi (65) his wife Zubeida (57), their sons, Salman, Imran, Nooman and two married daughters, talk about the story of their harassment.

The ordeal began on July 26, when two officers from Kurla police station,

Jitendra Agarkar and Praveen Tejale, “barged into” their house and “grabbed” Salman and his father Usman to Kurla police station. Salman was detained for three days, his father left on the next day. They were, they say, beaten up with belts on hands and feet and abused verbally.

The affidavit of one of the daughters who did not wish to disclose her identity describes how her husband, who suffered from chronic heart ailment and diabetes, was stripped before her and beaten up. “My husband was beaten up by one police constable Khatal at the instance of Agarkar. He was slapped, punched and kicked on the face and stomach and on his back. Khatal forcibly stripped him. He was paraded naked paraded before me. I cried and pleaded with them not to do.’’ This incident allegedly took place on August 17.

When contacted, assistant police inspector Jitender Agarkar denied the allegations. He said: “Investigation for 7/11 blasts were not carried out at the Kurla police station. There is no question of calling in relatives of the suspects.”

The ATS had arrested Ziauddin Ansari on August 5, and had detained him for 20 days before he was released. His brother’s family in Mumbai had to suffer on account of the ATS’s suspicion. The affidavit filed by his brother Faroguddin Ansari’s wife, Naushada, states that Faroguddin was forcibly taken to Bihar on August 2 by the ATS and was brought back and released only after Ziauddin was found. When she met Ziauddin in prison, she states, “he seemed worn out, tortured, tired and in disheveled condition. I suspect he was administered third-degree torture.”

All the affidavits say that they were threatened not to contact any lawyers.

Meanwhile, the seven accused retracted their so-called confession statements in the specially designated MCOCA court on Monday.

menaka.raoATexpressindia.com

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/14458.html