By Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to 18 Muslims accused in Dhule riots that occurred in October this year.
It was on Sunday afternoon, October 5, 2008 that a clash between Hindus and Muslims occurred near Raj Kamal cinema hall in Dhule district of Maharashtra, a city having a population of around five lakh, with 75% Hindus and 25% Muslims. Reportedly 10 people were killed, 100 injured and 10-15 houses were put on fire near the Juna Devpur Eintbhatti area and the wall of Agna mosque was demolished by the rioters.
It is reported that some Eid-related posters were put up by a Muslim corporator Sabir Seth. The Hindu Rakhshak Sabha had also put up its posters nearby. The Hindu posters were allegedly more provocative and some of them were torn down by Muslims. Consequently some Muslim posters were also torn down. Then a mob gathered near the site and then erupted a fight between the two groups. The police resorted to lathi-charge, threw teargas shells and even opened fire to disperse the mob.
After the riots in Dhule, Muslims in great number were arrested. But the session court of Dhule released 119 people on bail while rejecting the petitions of 18 other Muslims including Zakir Khan Ismail Khan, Imran Shaban Ansari, Iqbal Javed Jaleel Ahmad and Jabir Shiaikh Yunus.
The police of Azadnagar in Dhule had lodged the cases of murder, attempt for murder, damage to public property and creating riots, against the above-mentioned people.
Therefore, the legal assistance committee of Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind (Maharashtra) again filed petitions in Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court with the help of senior advocates of Aurangabad Joydeep Chatterji, Nadeem Ansari, Ashfaq Shaikh and Tazeem Khan Pathan.
After hearing the defence the Bench on December 17 accepted the bail applications of the accused.