Zafar Ali, prominent lawyer and the Sadar Chief of Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, was detained by the Uttar Pradesh police on Monday evening, immediately after a press conference where he accused senior district officials of orchestrating the firing Muslim youth during recent protests.
During the press conference, Zafar Ali detailed his account of the events leading to the police violence, which have claimed five lives so far. He alleged that he witnessed the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Superintendent of Police (SP), and District Magistrate (DM) discussing the issuance of firing orders against protesters.
Zafar Ali alleged that he personally witnessed police firing at the crowd, refuting claims that protesters initiated the violence.
“I did not see any firing from the public. It was the police who were shooting. I even saw them using desi katta (country-made guns),” he stated.
Zafar Ali claimed that the confusion could have been avoided had the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and Circle Officer (CO) addressed the public’s concerns transparently. Instead, he accused the CO of hurling abuses, ordering a lathi charge, and threatening to shoot protesters.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.