New Delhi,December 04:Relatives of Gauhar Aziz Khomany, who has been arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell for having alleged links with terror outfit Indian Mujahideen, have approached the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Minorities seeking intervention and accusing the police of not having adhered to the Supreme Court guidelines on making arrests.
‘NOT INFORMED OF ARREST’
In a letter to the NHRC, Gauhar’s brother Hasan Aziz Aamir alleged that the police had violated the Supreme Court directions by failing to inform his family about his arrest. “No official information about the arrest has been made to the family members so far. I fear that my brother is being falsely implicated. The police claim that Gauhar was arrested on November 23, whereas I received a call from his mobile phone number (9891635734) on my phone (08083372902) on the evening of November 26. This clearly contradicts the police claim,” said the letter.
Akhlaq Ahmad of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights said the police should have followed the rules laid down by the Supreme Court while carrying out arrests.
Gauhar’s brother has also written to Delhi Police Commissioner stating that the Supreme Court directives had been violated and that his family came to know about his arrest only through the media.
“We were in for a shock when we learnt that he has been arrested. Whoever knows Gauhar can vouch for him, given his commitment towards social work. He would collect money from us (brothers) to financially support the needy and would also organise social awareness programmes in his village,” said Aamir, who is a lawyer and a management graduate working with a company in Dubai.
Coming from a highly educated family, Gauhar himself is a mechanical engineer. One of his brothers is a senior scientist in the United States and another a civil engineer working in Saudi Arabia. “Our father had done engineering from Sindri, earlier in Bihar, and retired from the irrigation department,” said Aamir.
‘WELL EDUCATED’
Aamir said after a diploma in engineering, Gauhar graduated in mechanical stream. He then joined him in Dubai where he worked for a multinational firm. “However, considering our sister’s poor health — who had to be frequently brought to Delhi and father’s old age, we all decided that Gauhar should go back to India and he agreed. He came to Delhi and set up a company named Irene Engineering Contracting Company and started construction projects.”
Mr. Aamir said Qateel Siddiqi, who was the first to be arrested by the police on November 22, earlier worked as a labour supervisor in his brother’s company. “He is also from our village in Bihar. He quit the job about a year ago. But about two months ago, we learnt that a West Bengal special task force team had come looking for him in the village, but he went underground.”
Gauhar’s brother said had he been involved in terror activities along with Qateel, he would also have gone missing to evade detection. “My brother was recently with us in the village and he organised an anti-dowry and anti-tobacco campaign. We also organised a skating event in the remote areas along with a former skating champion and met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Gauhar had left for Delhi by then,” said Aamir, showing photographs of the meeting.
——————————Agencies———————