By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
New Delhi: More than 300 Muslims are languishing in Uttar Pradesh jails in connection with serial bombings, terrorism activities and their alleged association with the banned SIMI, says a memorandum submitted on Sunday to the Union Home Minister for State Prakash Jaiswal.
Officials of a legal rights group for UP minorities met the minister and presented him with the memorandum, demanding a central probe in all these cases as well as those related to the assault of the lawyers who are representing Muslim terrorism suspects in the state, says a report in the Urdu daily Rashtriya Sahara.
The memorandum says that in the state more than 300 Muslims have been detained, some in the name of SIMI, some in the serial blasts in court premises and some in connection with terrorism activities. Some cases haven’t opened even after 3 years.
Reports have appeared in media that many of the detained Muslim terrorism suspects are being tortured in jails. They are being humiliated.
On June 13, in the Lucknow jail the Holy Quran was desecrated and some of the accused were beaten.
The minister was also told how the accused are being denied their legal and constitutional right of lawyers of their choice and the right of fair trial.
On August 12-14, some of the lawyers representing the accused including advocate Mohammad Shoaib was beaten by his colleagues in Lucknow civil court.
The minister has been requested to send a high-level team to look into the issues.