By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: “They used to put electric shots to my lips, nose and ears. They used to regularly beat me harshly and when I happened to fall faint, they used to throw water on my face to make me conscious. This used to be followed by another cycle of brutality. Besides, they regularly abused my mother and sisters, threatening to misbehave with them.” This was Abdur Rahim who was acquitted in Mecca Masjid Blast, recounted the narrative of pain.
Abdur Rahim is among many Muslim youths from Hyderabad, who were falsely put behind the bar, following May 2007 Mecca Masjid Bomb Blast. They were illegally picked up, tortured, harassed and after being languished in jail for months, they were acquitted. Even after they have been proved innocent, the government is yet to take any step to rehabilitate them.
Narrating story of nightmare
Talking exclusively to TwoCircles.net, Abdur Rahim narrated the nightmare which he lived since September 2007. “On September 5, 2007, I was sitting inside my house with my father while other family members went to attend a function. Suddenly, few policemen barged into the house asking me to come out. But as I stepped out of home, they covered my face and picked up. I was put illegally in an unknown place for 4 consecutive days. During custody, they used third degree torture to force me to confess about my involvement in Mecca Masjid Bomb Blast.”
Social ostracization
Abdur Rahim’s arrest did not ruin only his own life but also that of his family members.
“Following my arrest, neighbors and relatives socially ostracized and isolated my family. Subsequently my brother lost his job that led my family into financial crisis. It was very difficult for them to arrange for livelihood, let alone to arranging money to hire a lawyer for my case,” he painfully added. So much so that he couldn’t arrange 25000 Rs, the amount required for his bail, on his own. He managed to get bail only after few people came forward to help him out.
Abdur Rahim
Abdur Rahim who spent painful five months in jail without committing any crime, once he was out, has to face mental trauma and social ostracization which was, at one level, perhaps bitter than his experiences in jail. “Because of the social boycott, we left the area we have been for last 25 years,” added Abdur Rahim.
Witch hunt continues
The police witch hunt against him continued even after Abdur Rahim’s acquittal in Dec. 2009. “If any unwanted incident happens in any place, police calls me at the police station and makes me sit for hours unnecessarily,” he added.
Demand compensation
Demanding compensation for his rehabilitation and strong punishment for the responsible police officers, Abdur Rahim said, “I was made to go through hell without committing any crime. Who is responsible for what I went through? The government must take tough action against guilty officers to correct the system. My false arrest left me without job and wronged my image in the society. So, I demand Government to give proper compensation for rehabilitation that will be the real apology.”