By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: A delegation of Muslim political and religious leaders under the umbrella of Muslim United Front met Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao at his secretariat office on Thursday evening and demanded an independent inquiry into the killing of five Muslim under-trial youth.
The delegation apprised the Chief Minister on the growing unease in the Muslim community, especially after the killing of five under trials in an alleged encounter two days ago.
The delegation comprising Asaduddin Owaisi, MIM president and Hyderabad MP, Maulana Abdul Raheen Qureshi, AIMPLB general secretary, Maulana Jaffer Pasha, Rahimuddin Ansari, Syed Qubool Pasha Shattari and Syed Akbar Nizamuddin among others, demanded that the Chief Minister go for an independent inquiry, preferably by the CBI, into what they claimed was “a fake encounter”.
Speaking with the media persons outside the secretariat, the delegation informed that the Chief Minister had responded to their demands in a positive manner and asked for three days’ time to take a final call on the matter, including a decision on the demand of a CBI inquiry.
Since the day of the encounter, this is the first time the Chief Minister has broken his silence and expressed his views on the burning issue.
Owaisi started by saying: “We have told the Chief Minister that this delegation comprising Muslim scholars, social activists and politicians have condemned the killing of four police officers at Suryapet. Government should give all the possible help to those brave officers’ family.”
“The important reason for our meeting with the Chief Minister was that this encounter of five under trial prisoners was an extra-judicial killing. We have told the Chief Minster we had with us Azeem, the lawyer of those boys, who informed him (the CM) that in a month, the trial would have been completed and the judgement would have been given on the culpability or the innocence of these boys.”
Owaisi said they wanted to bring to the notice of the Chief Minster “how can these boys be shown holding INSAS Rifles, which is 40 inches long, even with their right hands handcuffed to the chair … there were 17 police personnel inside the vehicle, how is it possible for any under trial…..(to use it).”
The delegation explained to KCR, “Yes, we know one of the accused was facing a grave charge of murdering a police man. Let us assume that he was used to fire arms, but he cannot be used to INSAS rifle (weapon available only with military and police). INSAS rifle is a 5 kg rifle, first it has to be loaded, then used. These youth were handcuffed with 17 police officers inside the vehicle. This can happen only in Rajnikanth movie,” Owaisi said.
The Muslim delegation also raised questions on how not a single under trial was spared and also brought to the notice of the Chief Minister that six months back one of the accused had written a letter to the court that he is facing threat to his life.
MUF chairman Maulana Abdul Raheem Qureshi said, “Chief Minister has expressed regret over the encounter incidents. He told us that peace along with law and order in the state is essential to attract investments and to achieve state’s growth.”
Qureshi said that he told the CM that “Peace comes with justice” and demanded a free and fair inquiry. “We made him clear that a local magisterial or CID enquiry cannot be acceptable to the Muslim community.”