UP invokes NSA for minorities over cricket row that turned communal

Meerut: A cricket match followed by an argument between two communities led to communal clashes invoking sections of National Security Act (NSA) in Muzaffarnagar’s Purbaliyan village were a majority of minorities were booked in FIR and no action was taken against the majority community

Sections of NSA have been invoked against three men of the minority community including a 65-year-old man. With this Police’s action in favour of one community leaving the minority community is termed as one-sided by the members of the community, TOI reports.

Recalling the incident which led to the clash, former village pradhan Shakar Ali said, on August 21 the two boys from different communities got into an argument during the cricket game.

“It was just a small fight between kids with little communal overtones but was made to look like a big communal clash in order to settle scores with minority families. No action was taken against the majority community.”

The very next day on August 22, Sumit Pal, the father of the other boy, filed an FIR against a dozen of minority men and 20 unidentified ones under sections 452 (house trespass in order to hurt), 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 427 (causing damage) of the IPC.

While on August 24, a servant of Shamsher Ahmad, Abid Ahmad was allegedly beaten in the farm by two masked men which made things, even more, worse than the FIR.

A local activist Nilofer Chaudhary said, “Soon, senior police officers and a large police force began pouring into the village and later a Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) contingent was also called in.”

Shamsher’s relative Waseem Chaudhary said that after the FIR was filed against the family, “Police and PAC jawans entered homes and broke furniture and terrorised family members.”

Soon came the second FIR against 26 minority men under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the IPC apart from the previous FIR’s sections.

SHO of Mansoorpur confirmed a second FIR was filed on August 24. “Another section was later included, for the attempt to murder, in the second FIR filed on August 24 against 26 persons.”

While Shamsher’s brother Waseem Chaudhary blames right-wing groups for attacking the servant Abid to make the matters worse.

Following the two FIRs, a total of 38 men were booked by name and 20 were unidentified, out of which 28 are in jail including Shamsher, Mehboob Ahmad and Aftab who were booked with NSA sections.

While Circle Officer, Khatauli, Rajeev Kumar Singh told that “Abid later confessed that his own employer Shamsher had prompted him to act as the victim so that a counter FIR could be filed. So NSA proceedings against him were logical.”

On the other hand, Mohsin, brother of Shamsher claims it is the Police favouring one community over another when the fight was between the boys of different communities the Police should have taken action both.

“Police arrested Shamsher who had no role in what is being termed as a conspiracy. When his nephew Mehboob who was not even in the village at the time of the flare-up went to the police station to look for Shamsher, he was also detained. Abid was forced to change his statement and when he did not relent his name was also included in the FIR.”