By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Lucknow: Rihai Manch (Forum for the Release of Innocent Muslims imprisoned in the name of Terrorism) will mobilise people across state for a people’s movement to press for the acquittal of innocent Muslim youths arrested on fabricated charges and languishing in jails for years.
Rihai Manch held a press conference at the Lucknow Press Club on Saturday, after calling of its marathon indefinite dharna of September 19 after 121 long days as the SP government had tabled the RD Nimesh Commission Report in the Assembly on the first day of the monsoon session.
Since May 20 Rihai Manch was 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.
Advocate Mohammad Shoaib, Chairman of Rihai Manch elaborated on his plans to lead a state wide movement, here at the Lucknow Press Club on Saturday. He said that although the RD Nimesh Commission Report clearly indict the police officers, the Samjwadi Party government is still shying away from taking actions on the report.
President of Indian National League Mohammad Suleman pointed out that the SP government had fooled the people by not fulfilling its poll promise to release those innocent Muslim youths, who are languishing in jails without proper trial.
Gandhian social activist and Magsasay award winner Sandeep Pandey demanded that on the lines of Nimesh Commission, government should constitute a full fledged enquiry committee to look into all such terror related cases and persons arrested therein for questions have been raised in many similar cases and fingers have been pointed on the investigating officers.
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 arrests.
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 led a sustained demonstration against the UP government for four months demanding actions on its poll promise of releasing innocent youths languishing in jails in fabricated terror charges. Several rights groups and and politicians, including Prakash Karat, Subhasini Ali, film maker Anand Patwardhan, Anusha Rizvi, among others had also expressed their solidarity with the Manch demonstration and on different days made token participation.