By TwoCircles.net news desk,
New Delhi: US based advocacy group Indian Muslim Council-USA (IMC-USA) has demanded full implementation of the recommendations made the Advocate Ravi Chander report which was released in full by TwoCircles.net two days ago.
Advocate Ravi Chander was appointed by the AP State Minorities Commission (APSMC) to investigate the claims of illegal detention and torture of the Muslim youths by AP Police following bomb blasts in Hyderabad.
The Commission has since submitted an interim report and a full report confirming illegal detentions and torture by police and also made recommendations to remedy and prevent such incidents in future. Additionally, the APSMC also recommended the creation of a 24-hour helpline in the state to register complaints against the administration and police.
IMC-USA in a statement said that it is dismayed that the AP government has not taken any action on the report or its recommendations. In a week long campaign organized by IMC-USA, thousands of Indian Americans signed petitions demanding the AP Chief Minister to implement the recommendations by Advocate Ravi Chander. Indian Americans from several states of United States also made phone calls, sent faxes and emails to A.P. Chief Minister and the State Minorities Commission Chairman.
IMC-USA mailed letters along with the signed petitions to the AP Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, Principal Secretary Jannat Husain, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, APSMC Chairman Yusuf Qureshi and National Minorities Commission Chairman Shafi Qureshi demanding immediate action.
An independent committee as well as the APSMC appointed fact-finding committee that included forensic expert Dr. Mahender Reddy has documented that several young Muslims were arrested after the bomb blasts in Mecca Masjid and Lumbini Park in 2007 without being informed of any charges, no member of the family was informed, blindfolded, taken to unknown places, hands and legs tied up, suspended, beaten, stripped naked, shots given through a small machine at private places, repeatedly punched, dragged, beard pulled until tufts of hair fallen, blackmailed that members of the family will also be tortured. All this was done while the suspects were in illegal custody of the Hyderabad police for up to 10 days while the law requires producing all accused before a magistrate within 24 hours of the arrest.
While it is encouraging that these innocent Muslim youth were acquitted by the AP criminal court last year, so far there is no known effort from A.P. Government to consider or even an acknowledgment of the following recommendations submitted by Advocate Ravi Chander to the APSMC.
IMC-USA also registered its frustration at the silence of the Muslim leadership both religious and political.
Indian Muslim Council-USA is the largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the United States with 10 chapters across the nation.
Full report can be downloaded here: http://www.twocircles.net/2009apr08/ravi_chander_report_reveals_torture_and_illegal_detention_ap_police.html