Ali is among 84 people who were arrested by the Saharanpur police in connection with the violence in the city after Friday prayers on June 10. Soon after the incident, a video of some people being brutally thrashed at the police station went viral. Despite being widely shared, officials said it was “not from the region”.
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TOI on Wednesday met the kin of those in the video, who confirmed that they were indeed from Saharanpur. Many also said they were concerned that their homes would be bulldozed into a “targeted attack”. Ashma alleged, “Three men in khaki uniform came to inquire about the condition of my properties but could not meet me as I was arranging bail for my son.”
A similar description was given by Mohammad Javed, brother of a Mohammed. Saif, who can be seen wearing a white kurta pyjama in the viral video. He also told that his family is a resident of Saharanpur.
“Some people came to inquire about my electricity connection, property papers and other bills. When I asked him the reason, he said that he is from the Municipal Corporation. I am afraid they are planning to bulldoze my house,” he said. Javed claimed that when he went to visit his brother in jail, he noticed that Saif’s hands and feet were “swollen from the thrashing”.
Three-time ward councilor Mansoor Badar supported the claims of Ashma and Javed. He said, ‘There are thousands of such houses in Saharanpur which are built illegally. This time the municipal corporation has shortlisted only 95 properties for construction verification. All belonged to those arrested on Friday. This is targeted harassment, it must stop.”
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Ashish Kumar, vice-chairman of the Saharanpur Development Authority, confirmed that the homes of the riot-accused were being identified, but added that it was a “routine process”.
Many said his family members were arrested “despite being innocent”. Shaheen Siddiqui, a resident of Mehndi Sarai, Saharanpur, claimed that her son Asif Siddiqui and his friend Subhan had gone to inquire about the cost of a two-wheeler, but were arrested and thrashed by the police. “I haven’t been able to sleep since then,” she told TOI. “Many people who were picked up were elsewhere at the time of the protest, but no one is allowing them to prove their innocence,” he said. noor alamWard 64 councilor.
At the same time, Additional SP of Saharanpur city, Rajesh Kumar, continued to deny the origin of the video. “No one has come forward to report this video. It is not from Saharanpur,” he said. When told that TOI had met the families of those in the video, he said he “cannot comment further”.
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