[Reader-list] Fasting Muslim prisoners beaten up in Bhopal

[Javed]

Fasting Muslim prisoners beaten up in Bhopal
21 August 2010

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,

Bhopal: What will Muslim jail inmates do while observing fast in the
month of Ramzan when policemen deny them water for “Wuzu” (ablution)
and eatables to break the day-long fast? These jail inmates are bound
to raise their voices against the violation of their religious and
human rights. The situation gets further surcharged when policemen
allegedly scorn at their religion passing objectionable remarks about
Ramzan and Islam and go about cane-charging them. In the scuffle that
follows many inmates get injured, some of them seriously, with their
faces splashed with blood.

Such a scenario prevailed here in Bhopal on Friday wherein about a
dozen Muslim jail inmates were injured, eight of them seriously, when
they were allegedly beaten up by policemen in the lockup of the
district court where they had been brought up for hearing. The injured
prisoners had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

The infuriated prisoners alleged that they were abused and brutally
beaten up in the lockup by batons. They claimed that when they asked
for water for “Wuzu” ablution to perform “Namaz” (prayers) in the
evening and some eatables about half an hour before “Aftaar” (breaking
of Muslim fast) the policemen refused and reportedly made
objectionable remarks about Ramzan. When they protested the remarks
vociferously, the policemen allegedly hit them. In the melee that
ensued some of the prisoners sustained head injuries.

This angered the prisoners and they refused to leave the lockup inside
the court to be taken back to jail. They staged “dharna” (sit-in) in
the lockup inside the court premises. They insisted that they would
not budge until media personnel were allowed inside the lockup so that
they could narrate their plight and the inhuman behavior of policemen.
The melodrama reportedly lasted for nearly four hours. In all 131 jail
inmates were later taken back to jail in vehicles.

It is interesting to note that non-Muslim prisoners supported the
fasting Muslim colleagues against the police high-handedness. The
prisoners alleged that two policemen were abusive towards those
observing fast during Ramzan and hurt their religious sentiments.
Almost all the prisoners together with those who were observing fast
blamed the two policemen for the situation. They alleged that
policemen of district police line brutally beat them and also made
objectionable comments. They raised slogans against constables Arun
Malik and Amar Singh in particular. The jail inmates also alleged that
they were not allowed to meet their kin and guards of police line
forced them for bribe.

However, the police officials have refuted the claims of the prisoners
and said that the injuries had been self-inflicted. They banged their
heads against the walls of the lockup and in the process their faces
got splashed with blood, they asserted

Officials maintained that the injured ones have been admitted in the
hospital while a case in this regard would be registered after
investigation.

Meanwhile, it may be stated here that a few days back there was a
serious altercation between advocates of Bhopal district court and
policemen leading to manhandling of some advocates. The working of the
Bhopal district court is at standstill since advocates, thereafter,
are on strike demanding action against the erring policemen who
misbehaved with them.