By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Lucknow: As the Rihai Manch dharna completed 100 days on August 29, demonstrators marched to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly demanding justice for Khalid Mujahid.
Since May 20 Rihai Manch (Forum for the Release of Innocent Muslims imprisoned in the name of Terrorism) is on indefinite dharna demanding arrest of police officers involved in Khalid Mujahid’s murder, issuing the RD Nimesh commission report and action report, and the immediate release of innocent Muslim youth imprisoned in the name of terrorism.
Well known senior journalist Subhash Gatade, who was participated in the march said that the Samjwadi Party will have to face the consequences of not keeping the poll promises made to the minorities.
Khalid Mujahid’s uncle Maulana Zahir Alam Falahi expressed his gratitude to the Rihai Manch activists and thanked them for creating and mobilizing a sustained movement against false terror cases after the ‘martyrdom’ of Khalid. He said that the reverbations of the movement that began from UP can now be felt across the country.
Family members of Tariq Qasmi, including his nine year old son, who was only two years old at the time of his arrest, were also present and spoke on the occasion. Tariq was arrested along with Khalid and is still in jail.
Several other activists and leaders were present to express their solidarity on the 100th day of the indefinite dharna.
Khalid had died under mysterious circumstances on his way back from Faizabad near Ram Sanehi Ghat on May 18. He was declared brought dead by the doctors at district hospital in Barabanki. Later, on the complain of his uncle Zahir Alam Falahi, a case was registered against 42 police officers including former DGP Vikram Singh, ADG Brijlal and others who were on duty during the time of Khalid’s arrest.
Khalid along with Tariq Qasmi was arrested by Special Task Force (STF) on 20 December 2007 from Barabanki. Huge explosives were also shown as recovered from his possession. STF claimed that he was involved in the serial blasts which occurred in Gorakhpur, Faizabad and Lucknow. Later, Nimesh Commission was constituted headed by Justice R D Nimesh who in its report raised fingers over STF’s claim about the place of arres.
Khalid’s family and civil society groups are demanding CBI probe into Khalid’s custodial death and has compared his case with the fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan by the Gujarat Police. They have also questioned the role of the IB.
Rihai Manch is leading a sustained demonstration against the UP government for 100 days now demanding actions on its poll promise of releasing innocent youths languishing in jails in fabricated terror charges. Several rights groups and and politicians, including CPIM leaders Prakash Karat, Mohammad Salim, Subhasini Ali, Welfare party leaders Mujtaba Farooque and SQR Ilyas, film makers Anand Patwardhan and Anusha Rizvi, senior journalists Subhash Gatade, Anil Chamadia, among others have also expressed their solidarity with the Manch demonstration and on different days made token participation.