NEW DELHI: Fifteen young men from Burhanpur village in Madhya Pardesh were allegedly arrested for celebrating Pakistan’s recent victory over India in the Champion’s Trophy finals were made to clean toilets in jails, Hindustan Times reported. They remained incarcerated for more than 10 days. Despite being released, the nightmare of remaining behind bars for more than a week has left a mark on them.
“We were made to clean toilets and drains in the Khandwa jail and were called traitors by the jail inmates. When we entered the jail, nearly a dozen senior jail inmates slapped each one of us and abused us,” shared one of the detainees, Anees Banu Mansoori, a tailor by profession, during an interview to the Hindustan Times.
These 15 locals of Burhanpur – a village some 350km from Bhopal – were arrested by the police and charged with fomentation after India lost to Pakistan in a cricket match on June 18. According to the police, the Muslim men of this region celebrated Pakistan’s victory by bursting crackers and chanting pro-Pakistan slogans after the victorious match.
Mansoori was among 15 locals of Burhanpur, who were picked up by the police and charged with sedition hours after India lost to Pakistan in a one-sided match. The police claimed the Muslim men had burst crackers and then shouted pro-Pakistan slogans after the match.
“We did not,” Mansoori said in protest as he stood up to show his bruised leg that he was beaten up by the police. “We are Muslims, but also Indians,” the young man insisted.
Some villagers agreed to Mansoori’s pleas that police outdid by arresting these men. Furthermore, while speaking to the Hindustan Times, they spoke that a few crackers were heard during the night after the match but no one saw who was behind it or why they went off.
This incident sparked an outrage nationwide, putting the police in pressure to drop the charges after a week later. Their bail was granted on the June 27.
Sarfaraz Khan, a local farmer and one of the detainees said that he was treated the worst by the police because his name sounded similar to that of Pakistan’s cricket captain Sarfraz Ahmed. “They made fun of me as for them, I was the captain. I was beaten up mercilessly by the police. In jail the inmates did the same,” he said.
Due to the nature of their alleged arrest, celebrating the victory of Pakistan’s team, they were treated worst by the inmates. They were forced to clean the toilets and drains, refusals would invite more beatings.
A young cotton crop farmer, 24-year-old Idbar Gulzar Tadvi, said not only will this hurt him for a long time but remaining behind the bars for a long time will affect his cotton crops. “Most of us work in the fields as farmers or labourers. We have the most to lose,” he added.
Mansoori predicts his bleak future due to this alleged arrest “I am a Bachelor in Education and I had applied for a job in the forest department. I was about to apply for a job with the police as well. Now with such charges, who will give me a job,” he asked.
According to the police, Subhash Laxman Koli’s complaint was used to arrest these 15 men.
But Koli retracted his statement in front of the magistrate after appearing in the court. According to Koli, he was slapped and forced to sign some papers. “It was only the next day I realised that I was made the complainant when I read my name in the local papers,” Koli said. “Police tried to intimidate me, but I told the truth in the court statement. If something happens to me, police will be responsible.”
The superintendent of the police for Burhanpur has denied the allegations. “Before the magistrate, each one them have stated that they were not beaten. We are investigating the matter and as fresh facts come out, we will accordingly take action against whosoever is guilty,” he told HT.
“During the communal riots of 1992 and 2008 in Burhanpur, our village remained untouched. What changed this time needs to be investigated,” Sarfaraz’s father Rashid Khan said suspecting a conspiracy to disrupt the communal peace of the village.
You may also show promptness in publishing the news of torture being meted to your minorities. Be prompt in telling Pakistan about the atrocities being done to shias, christians and hindus. You are very much obsessed with India and you look for every opportunity to portray India in bad light for ill treatment of minorities. Why don’t you report on the atrocities being committed by your rapist Army (of East Pakistan fame) on innocent balochies, sindhies and mohajirs.
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