Jamiat mulling to move HC to include BJP MLA’s name in the FIR
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Mumbai: More than a week after Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind senior functionary Gulzar Azmi received death threat and days after Muslim MLAs from Maharashtra drew chief minister’s attention in this regard, police have finally registered a case against fugitive don Ravi Pujari on Monday.
The J J Marg police station lodged the FIR against Pujari under section 506(II) (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 507 (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) of the Indian Penal Code. But the FIR does not mention BJP MLA Ashish Shelar’s name. Shelar was the one who had demanded a ban on Jamiat alleging it to be an anti-national organization.
Gulzar Azmi, General Secretary, Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra (File photo)
Police, however, assured including Shelar’s name “if it finds evidence to that effect.”
Muslim MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly had handed over a memorandum to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on December 16 – TCN has a copy of it – defending Jamiat Ulema and demanding investigation into the threat case of threat to Jamiat functionary Gulzar Azmi.
Azmi, the secretary of the legal cell of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind (Maharashtra), had received a call on his office’s landline on December 13. The caller had identified himself as Ravi Pujari and intimidated him of dire consequences if he did not refrain from supporting terror cases accused, especially those who have connection with rival underworld don Chchota Shakeel.
Jamiat had suspected hand of BJP MLA Ashish Shelar, who had in the Assembly on December 11 demanded ban on the Jamiat alleging that Azmi has underworld connection and that Jamiat promotes ‘terrorism’ by providing legal assistance to terror accused.
But finally when police registered a case, Jamiat Ulema office is dissatisfied over non inclusion of names of BJP MLA Ashish Shelar and some unknown police officials as stated in Azmi’s complaint to the police station and crime branch.
Azmi in his statement on December 13 had named fugitive don Ravi Pujari, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar and unknown police officials for the death threat he received two days after Shelar demanded the ban on Jamiat and asked for investigation into Azmi’s underworld connections.
Speaking with TwoCircles.net, Azmi said, “I am aggrieved with non-inclusion of name of Shelar in the FIR because I have strong suspicion that he is in some way responsible for issuance of threat due to his baseless allegations raised in the assembly against me and Jamiat couple of days before actual threat by Ravi Pujari”.
“I had clearly written in my complaint the connection between Shelar’s allegations against Jamiat and the threat by Pujari two days after his (Shelar’s) unprovoked branding of our organization as anti-national,” he said.
“We are contemplating to approach the Bombay High Court for inclusion of Shelar’s name in the FIR and also some unknown police officials. We will soon hold a meeting with our legal team to explore options”, he added.
Many organizations within and outside India have condemned threat to Gulzar Azmi and BJP MLA’s allegations against Jamiat Ulema and have lauded its contribution for the welfare of the Indian society.
Police FIR
MLAs letter to CM Devendra Fadnavis
Gulzar Azmi Complaint
Related:
Underworld don threatens Jamiat functionary after BJP demands ban on Jamiat Ulema
One BJP MLA seeks ban on Jamiat, another for pulling down speakers on mosques
IAMC writes to Maharashtra CM over threat to Jamiat leader Maulana Gulzar Azmi