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Case against harassment of minority community member at Jhoolaghat  

 

Case against harassment of minority community member at Jhoolaghat

B.D.Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, Aug 31

In the series of cases of harassment and intimidation against minority Muslim community in the smaller town and cities of Uttarakhand for the past years, a case has been filed by a Muslim resident of  border town of Jhoolaghat in Pithoragarh district against a person belonging to a political party of harassing and abusing him.

An FIR, under section 352 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, has been lodged by Naushad, against the said person and sought security from the police.

Interestingly, in the month of March this year, Ayub another minority community member of the town had complained to the police against that same person for threatening him and his family members for offering ‘namaz’ during the holy fasting month of ‘Ramzan’. The then SHO of Jhoolaghat police station Suresh Kamboj had  cautioned the youth belonging to the ruling party against any communal act.

“The offence cited in FIR lodged by Naushad is a  non-cognizable offence in which action could be taken only on the orders of the courts. However, we are trying to pacify the matter between the two parties,” said Parvez Ali, Circle Officer of Pithoragarh police.

According to the police officer, the report has been lodged six days ago and the local police has tried to pacify both the parties. Jhoolaghat town situated at Indo Nepal border has a miniscule Muslims population of not more than a dozen households.

” The town has ahistory of communal harmony as the members of each community always take part in  one another’s social, religious and cultural festivities. We have appealed to elders of each community to maintain the traditional communal harmony,” said the CO.

There had been incidents of targeting of Muslim community in the border areas following elopement of two minor girls with two Muslim youth from Dharchula early this year. There were agitation by Hindu right wing groups against allowing ‘outsiders’ particularly Muslims to do business in the area.

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