On 14th of September 09, exactly one year after starting of random picking of ‘suspected’ people from Jamia Nagar, a Muslim majority area of Delhi in the name of ‘fighting Terrorism’, we got a call from a lawyer friend, who works on human rights issues especially Juvenile Justice saying, a boy has been picked up from Shaheen Bagh of Jamia Nagar. Our first thought was, oh, one more illegal detention! Hence, we started contacting family members, Journalists and community leaders. Meanwhile, some of us rushed towards Jamia Nagar police station to enquire about the same.
At the police station, we were told in the negative, which made us all the more wary because in last one year, whenever we approached them in the cases related to illegal detention they behaved in a similar manner. They have always denied such action on their part and even refused to lodge our complaints of the ‘missing’. After having an argument for more than one hour, we were told that, “yes, few boys have been picked up from the locality in the case related to motorbike lifting.” Thankfully, it was not a matter of illegal detention. Though there were many procedural lapses as the boy was minor, and was subject to arrest under the guidelines of Juvenile Justice Act. It is also worth mentioning that, the boy was picked up in total filmy manner or one should say he was abducted like case of illegal detention.
One can still recall several cases of illegal detention from the locality during last year. Being an eyewitness of such cases let me share a few. On 23 September 08,we were having a meeting in Jamia Nagar to discuss the police excess and communal witch hunt after Sept. 13th Delhi bomb blasts. The meeting was attended by well known lawyers, activists, journalists, academicians and community leaders like Prafful Bidwai, Amit Sengupta, Javed Naqvi, Collin Gonsalves, Harsh Dhobal, Ejaz Aslam and others.
As meeting was going on, a participant received a call saying, a 17 year old boy named Saqib has been gagged up by some ‘unknown’ men in plainclothes. Since it was really case of ‘unknown’ persons, who had dragged him away, we decided to lodge a police complaint with the local police station. Initially they were reluctant to entertain us but after we insisted a lot, they registered a complaint and told us that- the special cell had picked him up for ‘questioning’ and gave us his whereabouts. When we approached the Special Cell, they had another surprise in store. “The special cell cops said -hand over his brother and take him.” We were surprised by Cops’ bluntness. After much of pressure, he has been released late in the evening.
But Saqib is not an exception. People are being picked up indiscriminately everyday and are subject to all sorts of brutalities like torture and harassment, etc. Like Saqib, there are many in the area, Adnan Fahad, Rashid Agwan, Mohd. Rashid, Mohd. Arshad are to name few as most of them are not willing to disclose their name. And they have reasons for it- who will give a job or house, etc to a ‘suspected’ person? Today, even after one year of Delhi bomb blasts followed by ‘encounter’ at Batla House of Jamia Nagar, residents are living under khaki terror. There is a sense of insecurity and gloom. The atmosphere in the area is one of complete terror unleashed by the state. A feeling of who is next plagues the minds of the people. Youth is scared and parents are fearful for their children’s safety. The worst part is that, even girls are started feeling insecure and why not, haven’t they familiar with case of Ishrat Jahan’s fake encounter?
-Agencies