The Kerala police were accused of their anti-Muslim prejudice in detaining Muslim youths in preventive custody at various police stations in the Ernakulam district in connection with a recent blast at a Christian prayer meeting, allegedly orchestrated by a Christian youth, Martin Dominic, who was unrelated to the detained Muslims.
The blast, allegedly orchestrated by Martin against members of his former community, the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect, not only claimed the lives of three individuals and injured 52 people while they were praying in an auditorium on October 29, but it also kept Muslims under kangaroo trials and shadow of distrust, fear, and suspicion.
According to police sources, at least five Muslim men from different regions of the district were taken into preventive custody both before and after the perpetrator admitted to the crime upon surrendering to the police.
This reporter spoke with three of them and confirmed their detention, which was based on police prejudice against the Muslim community
“Though technically preventive detention is legal, it’s draconian in nature,” said Adv. Ameen Hassan.
Nizam Panayikulam whose acquittal by Kerala High Court in 2006 Panayikulam fabricated the SIMI case was upheld by Supreme Court this year, was one of the detained Muslims.
42-year-old Nizam was picked up from his house by a police team composed of Aluva Circle inspector of police and thunderbolt commandos who said that he would be placed under detention in relation to the Kalamassery blast case.
Nizam chuckled and said to Maktoob: “I was saved because Martin confessed to the crime, otherwise we would have been still in custody.”
“I told them, that I won’t come with Police in their vehicle as I have not committed any crime. I insisted that I would only come in my vehicle”. Nizam said.
“I’m living on rent and have been compelled to change my residence six times due to continuous harassment by the police. Despite being acquitted by the High Court in 2019, I continue to face mistreatment. In February of last year, when an incident occurred in Coimbatore, the NIA raided my house and confiscated my electronic devices, which were never returned. This has had a detrimental impact on my children’s education and our personal lives. I am planning to file a complaint with the DGP and Chief Minister regarding this issue and pursue legal action through the courts against the harassment,” Nizam said.
Abdul Sathar who was acquitted in the 2008 Ahmedabad blast case was the other person to be detained in the same station along with Nizam.
Sathar told Maktoob that, upon arriving at his home, the police informed him that there were instructions to detain him at the station in connection with the blast case.
“Our suffering from being detained is nothing when compared to the similar nature of detaining of Muslim youth outside Kerala,” said the 39-year-old Muslim youth.
“This (preventive detention) is good. It will remind the people about the nature of the system and it will expose the atrocities done by the state,” he said.
Sathar’s aged mother who is a heart patient was terrified when police again came on their doorstep. Sathar added that he was wrongfully convicted in the Vagamon SIMI camp case and had to spend 8.5 years in jail against which he has filed an appeal at the court.
Both Sathar and Nizam stated that officers at the station informed them that they were detained on the orders of the Director General of Kerala Police and that they couldn’t leave the station until the arrival of the DySP.
“I was granted bail with the surety of my elder brother, and Nizam was released on his own guarantee after the police received instructions over the phone to release us following Martin Dominic’s surrender,” said Sathar.
Maktoob contacted the Aluva station where they were detained for hours. The officer who picked up the phone confirmed the detention when asked whether Sathar and Nizam were detained in relation to the Kalamassery blast case.
The officer said, “Messages were forwarded to the station by the Superintendent of Police and Special Branch to take them into custody.” The officer recommended that the reporter contact the circle inspector. However, Circle Inspector Manjudas, upon realising the call was from a reporter, displayed a lack of interest in conversation and told Maktoob, ‘You can call the station.’ Subsequently, the officer disconnected the call.”
Former Popular Front of India member, Shamsuddin who was detained similarly by Perumbavoor Police was not allowed to come in his vehicle to the station and was taken in a police jeep.
45-year-old Shamsuddin who is a welder told Maktoob: “Perumbavoor Circle Inspector of Police scolded me after my lawyer objected to the action of police and questioned the prejudiced actions”.
Shamsuddin, who was taken to custody after Martin surrendered, went on to say: “I was taken into custody at 5.30 pm even after the perpetrator confessed to the crime. Whenever any unfortunate incident takes place, there is a conspiracy to divert it to the people of the Muslim community. This is a conspiracy and nexus between bureaucrats and the media.”
Maktoob contacted Perumbavoor CI and he denied that no one was taken into preventive custody yesterday in connection with the blast case.
When the reporter asked about Shamsuddin, CI told Maktoob, “Shamsuddin is a rowdy sheeter and he is often taken to preventive custody and yesterday’s preventive custody was not part of the blast case.”
Shamsuddin slammed the version of CI and replied to Maktoob, “I am not a rowdy and I was never detained in the police station in connection with any other case before.” “The constable who came along with the police team specifically told my wife the detention is part of the blast case,” he said.
Aluva Rural Superintendent of Police, Vivek Kumar IPS initially replied, “not in my limits” to this reporter’s query of the total number of people detained in connection with the case.
When told that the reporter got information on record from Aluva police station about the detainment in connection with the blast, Vivek messaged, “Yesterday one preventive arrest was made, but not related to this incident.” The officer refused to name the person who was detained and WhatsApp called this reporter and said, “no one was taken into preventive custody yesterday in connection with the Kalamassery blast.”
When this reporter asked why Nizam, Sathar, and Shamsuddin were detained, The officer said: “Suspects who pose a threat to internal security are usually taken into custody based on their history and antecedents.”
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here .