On September 1, the District Collector, Uttarkashi sent a detailed action taken report to the complaint dated June 16, 2023, filed with the National Commission of Minorities (NCM) by Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP). The said complaint, was against the shocking and outrageous calls for socio-economic boycott calls against local Muslims and the resultant forced exodus of the minorities, all by local Hindutva right-wing groups.
The said complaint highlighted that a Hindutva organisation, namely the Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan, had published posters –prominently displayed–demanding that Muslims in the area flee their residences on threat of violence. This organisation was then joined by local community leaders like Swami Darshan Bharti and Rakesh Uttarakhandi, who also called for the forced eviction of Muslims while delivering strident hate-speeches against the community.
The complaint analysed the events leading to the exodus, the hate speeches, threats of violence boycott and abuse, led to the deterioration of communal harmony in the area and listed the sections of the criminal law and Constitution that stand violated. Following directives by the National Commission of Minorities (NCM) on the said complaint, an action taken report was sought from the superintendent of police, Uttarkashi.
The inception: In its reply, the police began by providing information that that the matter began with a case being lodged by the father of a minor Hindu girl in the Purola police station. In the complaint, it was alleged that two men, namely Uvaid Khan and Jitendra Sainihad, had kidnapped his daughter on the pretext of marriage.
The FIR had been lodged on May 26, 2023. The police had invoked sections 363 and 366A of the Indian Penal Code as well as section 16/17 of POCSO Act against Uvaid Khan and Jitendra Saini. The accused were also presented before the court and were sent to judicial custody. On June 10, after completion of the investigation, a charge sheet had been filed.
This story was originally published in newsclick.in. Read the full story here