Jaunpur (U.P), June 29: In a glaring episode of unholy nexus between anti-social elements and police department, a BPL family headed by old-aged man was made to ‘flee’ his home and village in order to protect himself and his family. Though the story looks cinematic, but this is a real life of Kaleem Ansari.
“I would prefer committing suicide than going to jail. Once we are in jail, who is going to fight for my case, which is an endless process. Who will bear the court expenditure and why? What will be the future of my innocent son after being jailed? Who will look after the health and provide medicine to my ill wife in jail? How they will face society after getting punishment for no crime. And my house will be easily grabbed by Niyaz and his sons.” says aggrieved Kaleem Ansari. Perhaps these are genuine concerns of Mr. Kaleem.
Kaleem Ansari and his family are on the verge of committing suicide as they have suffered untold miseries by the hands of his neighbour, Niyaz and his sons and by sheer complicity and connivance of the police. Kaleem Ansari, 70 year old man, living below the poverty line, was running a very small grocery shop for his livelihood.
Niyaz wanted to evacuate Kaleem’s family settled next to his residence, though Kaleem is there for the last three decades. Niyaz with his three sons, one of them is a dreaded history sheeter, gradually increased the degree of their harassments as Kaleem Ansari got some money under Awas Viakas Yojana, to build his house. Niyaz’s son adopted several methods to harass poor Kaleem; and his family; they used to take of goods from Kaleem’s small grocery shops without making payments, throwing garbage in front of his house and passing humiliating comments whenever Kaleem and his family members come across on. This was going on for the last two-three years. Terrified Kaleem could not share this injustice to anybody.
On 24th of December 2010, sons of Niyaz, Mohd Hashim and Mohd Kasim attacked Kaleem in a pre-planned manner. Holding iron rods, sticks, they banged into Kaleem’s house by breaking down doors and started beating Kaleem and his wife with iron rod and sticks and broke his one knee into pieces. They also hit his wife, a 55 year old, a diabetic patient, suffering from high BP and heart problem, got injuries on her breast, legs and elbows. Fortunately his son Nafees was not there at home at that time.
As Nafees came back to home to his utter shock he found his badly injured parents. He tried to take his father to police station, the goons warned him of grave consequences. Later on hospital pretext, Nafees took his father to police station, Shahganj, 6 km away.
There police gave him only NCR (262/2010) despite the evidences of serious injuries, bloody cloths and broken leg (Kaleem was not able to walk). At that point of time Kaleem did not know the difference between NCR and FIR and hoped that police would now take appropriate action against the hooligans. Indeed, Police did not register FIR. Nafees took his father to local government hospital for treatment. As pain increased in the night, doctor referred him to district hospital, Jaunpur, which is 40 km away. Kaleem was taken there and his knee was operated. Kaleem remained admitted for about 12 days in the district hospital. Meanwhile Kaleem sent the medical report to the Police station, Shahganj, on 18th of January 2011, showing knee fracture and knee broken into three pieces.
Again police did nothing and even bothered to acknowledge the receipt of medical report and now there is no whereabouts of those medical reports. The culprits were roaming free scot and even some policemen were seen taking lavish dinners with the accused occasionally at the houses and appointed places. However, due to some support Kaleem managed to register a case in a local court for appropriate legal assistance. Subsequently, those goons started pressurizing Kaleem continuously for compromise. But somehow, Kaleem managed to resist.
In the last week of May 2011, a police man came to Kaleem and chastised that a case against him is filed in court and arrest warrant is issued; he, his wife and son, all need to take bail before they are thrown into jail. Kaleem did not know what crime he and his family have committed against overpowering Niyaz and his sons. The case was totally fake and baseless; and was the part of effort to bring Kaleem to compromise. Kaleem needed six persons to take his bail but none agreed out-of fear of those goons belonging to Niyaz. Finally, on Sunday night, 26th of May 2011, horror-stricken Kaleem finding no help from anywhere, including police and pressurised by the goons, ran away from his house.
On the other hand, when police found Kaleem absent, it just registered a case against Kaleem under section 151 declaring Kaleem a fugitive. Though all know in the area that dreaded criminals are behind Kaleem but police did nothing to find out the well being of Kaleem and rushed to declare the entire family a fugitive.
Now, Kaleem is out of house for the couple of weeks and he fears to go back as now fake cases are piling on him, police is searching for him and goons are hounding not to let him come back so they may be able to succeed in their nefarious design of grabbing the house of poor Kaleem.
Later some people from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University succeeded in attracting the attention of International Human Rights Protection Council, Delhi. The Commission quickly took the notice of this serious violation of Human right perpetrated by local musclemen patronised by some powerful elites and corrupt police officials. The commission sent a three member team to visit the village of the victim Kaleem Ansari. After persuading and convincing that police and goons would not be able to harm, the team was able to mobilise some people of the village to come forward and speak the truth. These people too revealed the series of incidents happened against Kaleem.
The team also visited the concerned police station, Shahganj (district Jaunpur, UP) and found that there was no FIR lodged, no medical report of fracture was in Kaleem’s case file and no appropriate charges were framed against the culprits. The team noticed an open case of nepotism and corruption
Later, the team requested the villagers to make Kaleem Ansari available so they could personally and directly ask and understand his matter. On their assurance that nothing would happen, these villagers arranged the visit of Kaleem Ansari and his family to the Juanpur Office of IHRC. There, depressed and Kaleem Ansari broke-down and narrated his grievances.
But the story does not seem to end here. It is learnt that, those goons are putting all efforts to prove themselves innocent; trying to influence local media, local administration and to get the things done in their favour.
It is also feared that further delay in taking action will lead, not only Kaleem but also the entire villagers who came forward to say the truth, to face the anger of the local police and goons. These goons are well versed in such types of crimes; they have very deep-rooted nexus locally.
Recent information further saddens that some robbers have broken the doors of Kaleem and perhaps looted his grocery shop and other valuables. Since Kaleem is not there, let us see who is going to inform the police about this case. To our knowledge, perhaps nobody will step forward because of the fear of police and goons.
Now question arises: Why police did not file FIR on the very day of the incident took place. Why police issued only NCR despite serious injuries of Kaleem, blood and broken leg. Even why police did not register a case when the medical report was submitted on 18.01.2011 and why it avoided giving the acknowledgement of the medical report. Why police did not arrest the culprit while they kept on roaming free scot.
Another serious issue comes up when investigation took place that several serious cases are registered against the sons of Niyaz in the same police station, Shagging. Now question arises: why police avoided lodging of FIR of Kaleem when the crime was committed by the same history sheeters. Under whose pressure police is operating their or should it be taken as an open case of corruption?
This is a clear case of corruption and complicity of police which is synonymous to a crime committed by a criminal or even more than that. The sheer complicity and partisan role of police embolden the culprits to continue with their criminal agenda and to terrify poor helpless Kaleem.
Kaleem was made to run away from his house by Police’s sheer avoidance of its duty and if Kaleem commits suicide who will be responsible? Certainly, the in-charge of the Shahganj police station or the investigating officers will have to bear the onus. Moreover when fake order from court was issued against Kaleem, again police did not judge the case on its merit. Now how Kaleem will get justice is a matter of great concern. He was beaten, his leg was broken and now he is a fugitive. How our system runs, Kaleem’s episode provides us an eye opener.
Now, after talking to the concerned persons in village and Kaleem himself, Commission has reached to the conclusion that three things should be immediately be implemented by the Jaunpur administration if it really wants to do justice.
Immediate transfer of Police in-charge of Shahganj; so an impartial and fearless inquiry of Kaleem’s case can be done;
Janupur administration should submit correct final report and absolve Kaleem from the fake charges levied on Kaleem
Effective police protection should be provided to Kaleem and his family and the culprit should be brought to book and appropriate charges should be framed equal to the crimes they have committed should be framed.
—Agencies