By Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad: On December 8, 1990 the most deadly riots in Hyderabad’s history started, in the span of four days more than 200 were dead and hundred others injured. The then chief minister N. Chenna Reddy blamed his opponents within the congress for the violence. The master mind of the riots was projected to a young M.P and Ralayseema congress faction leader Y.S.Rajshekar Reddy who later rose to become the chief minister. It was alleged that Y.S.R called goons and faction leaders from violent Rayalseema region into Hyderabad to instigate communal riots between Hindus and Muslims in the capital to destabilize the government of a Telangana Congress faction chief minister.
The timing of the riots was chosen carefully, the karsevaks in Ayodhya far north of Hyderabad stormed the historical Babri Masjid with an intention to demolish it on October just a month before. The aftershocks of the incidents were felt in Hyderabad and whole city became polarized. Allegations against Hyderabad police still surface that they played a dubious role during the riots andeven instigate it on the orders of some powerful Congress ministers.
The killings and arson started on 8th and continued till 12th night when unprecedented news shocked to whole Hyderabad and got the government in crisis. The news was that a 29 year old Police Constable Mohammad Abdul Qadeer shot dead his superior Assistant Commissioner of Police N. Satya due to the ongoing religious tensions. Immediately after that incident army was called in Hyderabad and finally N. Chenna Reddy had to step down as C.M. and the riots came to an end.
Qadeer was arrested on the spot and was booked in sec 302 of I.P.C, and sec 27 of the Arms Act. The state government and police pitched its case by representing Qadeer as a fanatic, the prosecution in their argument before the honorable court said, “The accused is a communal fanatic and instigated rowdy elements of Muslim community to rape Hindu girls on the eve of Rakhi Pornima, he was also seen in the company of Muslim rowdies who were attacking Hindus and he also opened fire at Hindus.” In this way the prosecution argued its case by putting serious allegations without any proof and gave him the image of ‘Muslim fanatic and a Hindu hater’.
On December 31, 1992 he was convicted and awarded life imprisonment but the court accepted the fact that the accused acted in the state of mental disturbance. He is now 51 year old suffering from serious health problems lodged in Gandhi Government Hospital and currently serving his 22nd year of imprisonment.
When that unfortunate incident occurred Qadeer was married and was having three children a three and two year old daughters, and 40 days old son. In his 22nd year he is the longest serving inmate in the jails of Andhra Pradesh, second to him is people’s war leader V. Ganesh serving his 17th year.
Now a popular campaign is started in AP to release Abdul Qadeer on humanitarian ground as his health is seriously deteriorated and as he had already served 22 years in prison. This kind of public campaign for his release began in 2004 when he completed 14 years imprisonment, and in 2004 it was the first time he was released on parole for 1 month.
Abdul Qadeer is currently under treatment for his damaged right leg, with doctors of the opinion that leg is damaged to such an extent that it has to be amputated. Qadeer a diabetic patient claims that his damage leg is the result of police torture he undergone after his arrest and even after the conviction.
Abdul Qadeer at the hospital. [TCN Photo]
A dismayed 51 year old Qadeer looks much older than his actual age, the reason he gave was the repression he faced for the last 22 years in jails. On his hospital bed knowing for sure that after his leg is amputated he will again be shifted to his prison cell, he pray for death as he seems that death will be much less pain full than to face prison one more time. “Court should have given me a death sentence rather than awarding this torture for life, at least God should relive me from this pain and agony.” He said while crying on his fate.
On the incident for which he is now paying serious price he said he regrets it but at that time he thought it was the best thing to do. “I was witnessing the injustices of police on the people especially Muslims, higher police officials were encouraging riots and rioters and sometimes they even instigating the riots by burning a property of a particular community and then blaming it on another community. They even gone to the extent of playing the voice recording of screams for help, when local people came out for help they will open fire on them. I was disillusioned by seeing my superiors in those communal acts. That is why I took that drastic step.”
His wife Sabera Begum who struggled for 22 years alone to bring up her three small children said that they survived only from pension of his father-in-law and charities given by different people. She said her husband should had been released in 2004 as he had completed 14 years and it was general rule at that time that a life convict can be released after 14 years. According to Sabera her husband became diabetic patient in 1997 and a heart patient in 2003, she said if government had taken more pragmatic approach to him in 2004 his health wouldn’t have been deteriorated.
She also expresses her surprise that government had released dreaded criminals involved in bomb blasts and horrific murders but failed to allow remission to her husband. “In 22 years he was out on parole for 70 days.”
Sabera Begum also claimed that wife of slain ACP had forgiven his husband as he had completed 22 years in jail, but according to her AP Police is against her husband’s release, “They want to make my husband an example for every junior police officers, this is just sheer revenge and not punishment”, she told us in sorrow. She appealed to the AP government to release her husband on humanitarian grounds.
In fact in 2004 congress government after coming to power under the leadership of Y.S. Rajshekar Reddy gave assurance to the Muslim community on the release of Abdul Qadeer. A Governmentt Order MS No. 190 Home (pri-c) was issued on 07-08-2004 to release some life convict prisoners on the occasion of Independence Day. It was widely believed at those times that Abdul Qadeer will find a place in the list. But the hopes shattered when a new G.O.Ms N.O 196 Home (pri-c) issued on 13-08-2004 didn’t contained the name of Qadeer. His name was dropped reportedly due to a heavy police opposition. More than six hundred life convicts got released among them were dreaded criminals.
Syed Mujeeb a noted illegal arms dealer having connections with JKLF and who was also convicted of killing an IPS officer with AK-47 serving life imprisonment for that crime was released. Because he was allegedly close to Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and used to supply arms to groups considered close to Jagan in Rayalseema. He was again arrested in 2005 one year after his release when a consignment of sophisticated weaponry was caught in Rajasthan bound for Rayalseema. Among those 600 released Mujeeb was not the only surprise, many persons close to Y.S.R convicted in Jubilee Hills bombings which left 26 people dead, were released. A year later they assassinated TDP leader and arch rival of Y.S.R in Rayalseema region Parital Ravi.
Qadeer’s advocate who fought his case in the High Court Maleshwar Rao said his proceedings and judgment were a result of the communal hatred. According to Maleshwar Rao, Qadeer case is unique as on one side he is being branded as communal fanatic on the other side it was the Govt and Police who wanted to take revenge and set an example. “In his case mens rea (guilty mind) wa not there, he acted in sudden upsurge of emotion, defense at that time was unable to prove absence of mens rea because every institution was turned against him.” Said Rao.
“It is a case of exceptional conflict of class, it is a case were a low-rank government servant had killed an officer in uniform” said by noted human rights activist and revolutionary poet Vara Vara Rao. He said government can release dreaded criminals accused in more serious crimes then Aadeer, but they will not even think about Qadeer. The reason he gives is that Qadeer is a symbol of revolt against might and power of superior police officer, government and police by making his life hell wanted to make him a living example, to show his class of people were they will end up if they challenge the authority and orders of their superiors how much illegal they may be.
These days the Muslim politics of Hyderabad is being seen in completely polarized stage, with one side consisting of anti-MIM organizations which formed a grand alliance of different political and social parties challenging the half a century domination of a single party over Hyderabad politics, and on the other side stands the grand old party of Hyderabad Majlis-e-Itehadul-Muslimeen which is hardly feeling any heat by any kind of alliance.
But one man had for sure facing the heat of divided Muslim politics it is Abdul Qadeer an unwarranted victim of Muslim politics. Abdul Qadeer is still considered a hero among general public of Hyderabad, his shot in the head of ACP was widely believed to be responsible in opening the eyes of the government to a deadly riot and finally ending it. And now bringing Qadeer back home will be a political gain which every organization and party want to score and take the whole credit of his release.
Majlis Bacho Tehreek a breakaway party from MIM and part of opposition alliance had often accused MIM of insincere approach towards Qadeer’s release. Its spokesperson Amjedullah Khan councilor said “If MIM want they can bring Qadeer out in just one day, Congress Government is standing on their support, if MIM president write a letter to the CM that they would reconsider their support, Qadeer will be out next day”. The reason which he gave for that alleged insincere approach of MIM is that its leadership doesn’t want to confront the strong police lobby which exercises control over the state government.
MIM supremo Barrister Assaduddin Owaisi attack his opponents saying that they had made Khadeer’s release a political issue to settle score with MIM. “I am not President of India that I enjoy such an authority over the government that I can get Qadeer releaed in one day. But it is not true that we are not trying, we raised this issue in assembly, and made representation to chief minster to release him. But whenever we try to push for his release police leadership comes between that consultations and remind government that he killed a police officer of higher rank, police lobby is the biggest hurdle in his release.” He acknowledges.
Mr. Owaisi also add, “Government also seem to be giving a higher premium on the life of a police officer then a general common man, that approach of the government is wrong and unconstitutional, if government shrugs off that attitude then it will pave way for Qadeer’s release on humanitarian ground.”
Taking a dig on parallel movement for Qadeer’s release other than his party he said, “They think by doing dharnas of 200 people or by posting something on the internet they can get Qadeer out?, let them try and do their best. If MIM will act now our opponents will again cry that we jump into the movement to hijack it or to take a political benefit from it, let them try their best with their methods when they will get tired of it and give up, then our party will show what mass mobilization really is and how to pressurize government for Qadeer’s release on humanitarian grounds.”
For now with no sign of change in the attitude of state with ever growing persistent feeling of revenge from the side of police, and in addition to the divided support of Muslims makes Qadeer’s release a distant dream for his loved ones.
Link:
http://www.change.org/petitions/release-abdul-qadeer
Related:
Justice Katju seek pardon for Constable Abdul Qadeer on humanitarian grounds