Question mark over rule of law in Uttarakhand, demand to withdraw case against ‘Mohammed Deepak’

Question mark over rule of law in Uttarakhand, demand to withdraw case against ‘Mohammed Deepak’

S.M.A. KAZMI

Dehradun, Feb 2

Uttarakhand police have been fully exposed for its’ biased handling of the sensitive law and order issues bowing to the pressure of the ruling BJP/RSS dispensation and its’ affiliate organisations who have become law unto themselves taking law in their own hands frequently in harassing minority Muslim community throughout the state. Despite several pleas, requests and memorandums by various organisations of Muslims no substantial action has been taken to refrain such elements.

The recent cases of lawlessness have further tarnished the image of the Utttarakhand police in handing of these cases. The most recent incident at Kotdwar town of Pauri Garhwal district clearly pointed towards the biased attitude of the force and its officials. While, Deepak Kumar Kashyap, a young gymnasium trainer stood up with an old Muslim shopkeeper when he was being harassed by Bajrang dal members forcing him to change the name of his shop. During the heated exchange of words, Deepak even told Bajrang Dal members that his name was “ Mohammed Deepak”  and made the harassers run away.

But this was not to the liking of Hindutva forces who are ruling the roost presently and decided to teach Deepak a lesson. Hundreds of Bajrang dal workers descended on Kotdwar an indulged in vulgar communal sloganeering trying to harm Deepak Kumar. The police had a tough time separating the two parties.

Interestingly, while, the Bajrang Dal workers roamed freely in the town, Deepak Kumar was taken to the police station. Later, a FIR was lodged against Deepak Kumar and his friend Vijay Rawat who stood with an old Muslim shopkeeper Vakil Ahmed on the complaint of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) members for alleged breach of peace, using caste slurs and other offences. It was in public domain that Bajrang dal members were using insulting words and invectives against the wife, daughter and family members of Deepak Kumar. Interestingly, a FIR against unidentified people was also registered on the complaint of Deepak Kumar but the police failed to identify the people despite the fact that those people were hurling abuses publicly and that was seen by the entire world on social media. A FIR was also lodged against local Bajrang dal workers on a complaint by Muslim shopkeeper vakil Ahmed who was threatened to change the name of his shop.

In the second incident, where two Kashmiri youth shawl sellers were brutally beaten up at Vikasnagar town of Dehradun district, a FIR was registered a person was arrested in the case. But, on the insistence of Hindutva elements, a complaint by the wife of the alleged accused was filed by the police charging Kashmiri of indecent behaviour with the wife of the accused which was probably an afterthought to defend the accused.

In the earlier incident where a young boy from north east Angel Chakma was stabbed to death, the police tried to portray the murder resulting from a brawl and not with racial discrimination which has become the hallmark of the present regime.

There had been strong resentment against the Uttarakhand police and a delegation of Insaniyat Manch today met the DIG  (law and order)Dhirendra Gunjial at police headquarters to protest against the filing of a case against Deepak Kumar and Vijay Rawat, who came forward to help a Muslim businessman in Kotdwar, and demanded that the case be withdrawn.

Dr. Ravi Chopra of the Manch said that the case filed against Deepak Kumar is completely false and should be withdrawn. He said that Deepak’s actions promoted brotherhood and upheld constitutional values. The case against him will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Kamla Pant said that the way one communal incident after another is occurring is alarming. It is clearly visible that the police are being lenient in taking action against such people.

Trilochan Bhatt who along with Indresh Maikhuri, state secretary , CPI(ML) had gone to Kotdwar to meet Deepak Kumar  police’s behavior towards Deepak is not appropriate. Three young men who went to meet him were kept at the police station for several hours. Deepak is fully cooperating with the police. He even issued an appeal at the police’s request. Despite this, a case was filed against him. The delegation comprised Paramjit Singh Kakkar, Nirmala Bisht, Vimala Koli, Manju Balodi, Dr. S.N. Sachan, Harveer Singh Kushwaha, Vijay Bhatt, and Hari Om Pali. The DIG assured them that he would convey this demand to his senior officers and that necessary action would be taken.

Meanwhile, two murder of young women in the span of few days at Rishikesh and Dehradun has raised questions about the law and order situation in the state .

Suryakant Dhasmana, AICC members and Senior vice-president of Uttarakhand Congress said in a statement that broad daylight murder of a young woman in Dehradun’s bustling Paltan Bazaar, the killing of two people at a Ravidas Jayanti program in Haridwar, the murder of another young woman in Rishikesh, and incidents of theft, robbery, and dacoity in various parts of the state once again prove that law and order in Uttarakhand have completely collapsed.

He said that the fear of the police has completely vanished from the minds of criminals in the state, and the situation has deteriorated to such an extent that criminals are attacking and killing young women with sharp weapons in crowded areas like Paltan Bazaar in the capital city.  Similarly, a young woman was murdered in Rishikesh, and two people were killed in broad daylight during a shooting at a community feast organized on Ravidas Jayanti in Haridwar.

Dhasmana said that there is no such thing as policing in the state. He said that in the case of the young woman’s murder in Paltan Bazaar, the victim had informed the police at the Kotwali police station on January 31st that her life was in danger, but the police did not pay any attention to that complaint, and just two days later, she was murdered. He said that anarchic and criminal elements are carrying out criminal activities fearlessly wherever they please, and the police are merely patting themselves on the back for arresting criminals in a few cases.

He further said that Uttarakhand already ranks first among the hill states in cases of violence against women, and now it is giving tough competition to its neighboring state, Uttar Pradesh, in murders, robberies, and dacoities as well. Dhasmana said that the collapsed law and order situation in the state will be one of the main issues in the Congress’s protest march to the Raj Bhavan (Governor’s House) in Dehradun on February 16th.