By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: In a sign that the Jamia Nagar encounter has not gone down well with all, a public hearing was held today near the House No. L-18 in Batla House area under Jamia Naga Police Station in New Delhi.
The House No. L-18 witnessed the bloody encounter on September 19 when two suspected terrorists – the locals refute the blame – were killed by the Special Cell of Delhi Police. The Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma had bullet injuries which he later in the evening succumbed to.
The entire operation – sequence of events, killing of the two youths, one of them had several bullet wounds only in the head as if he was shot from pointblank while making him sit, and also the mysterious death of Inspector Sharma whose picture after the encounter showed him with minor injuries on the shoulder and no bullet was found in his body – has led to questions over the police version of the encounter.
National Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Minorities, several NGOs and civil rights groups have since visited the area and recorded the statement of the locals and neighbours. This all because the encounter is not much clean, say rights activists.
Today was the turn of a public hearing. It was organized by the Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Group. Led by Jamia Millia Islamia teacher Manisha Sethi the group had invited renowned civil rights activists.
The jury members of the public hearing included novelist Arundhati Roy, Christian leader and human rights activist John Dayal, columnist and activist Harsh Mander, Swami Agniwesh, Kavita Srivastava of People’s Union for Civil Liberties and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan.
Several neighbours of the L-18 came forward and recorded their statement. They were cross questioned by the jury members in order to reach the truth.
Many of them were critical of the way police carried out the encounter. After the encounter bodies of the suspected terrorists were not shown to the media, the media was not allowed to see the place of the encounter and even after the encounter, some policemen were seen throwing flowerpots from the opposite building to the fourth floor flat of L-18 where the encounter took place.
Addressing the gathering Swami Agniwesh lauded the people for showing courage and record their statement in the presence of hundreds of people and a good number of armed security personnel. He questioned the police version and demanded judicial enquiry.
John Dayal said all minorities, not alone Muslims, are under attack. He emphasized on unity among minorities for their rights. He said there is a need to make the voice of the civil society louder against the police atrocities.
While demanding the publication of post mortem report author Arundhati Roy also demanded judicial enquiry into the case. She also condemned media for working as a mouthpiece of the police.
Human rights activist and columnist Harsh Mander said the fight is not between Hindus and Muslims but between secularists and non-secularists. He also questioned the encounter.
“When civil society is demanding enquiry into the encounter, the government should order for the same,” he said. He further said that the encounter was carried out by the government which was under pressure.
Kavita Srivastava of PUCL while demanded the enquiry lauded the public hearing as it was conducted when the neighbourhood is under great fear. She called upon people to continue the fight until they get justice in the case. She lambasted sections of the media for not being fair in its reportage of terrorism issues.