‘Attempts being made to silence voice of Mewat rights activist’
DELHIBASED CIVIL SOCIETY MEMBERS ALLEGE THAT COPS BARGED INTO MEWAT ACTIVIST’S HOUSE WITHOUT A WARRANT AND VANDALISED THE PROPERTY
CHANDIGARH: Anxious about the safety of Mewat-based human rights activist Mohd Arif Tain and his family, the Delhi-based Civil Society members, led by veteran journalist John Dayal, have alleged that attempts are being made to “silence” Arif’s voice by implicating him in “false legal cases.”
FEAR OF INCARCERATION
“It is feared that through these illegal means, attempts are being made to silence Mohd Arif’s voice against lynching and illegal encounters by implicating him in false legal cases which could lead to his incarceration and assault on his reputation,” said the 100-odd Civil Society members in their June 30 joint letter sent to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Describing Mohd Arif as a frontline human rights defender and an activist working with Aman Biradari, a people’s campaign working towards providing socio-legal support to the families of lynching victims and those who lost their lives in police encounters, the letter also signed by activist Harsh Mander says that Arif has been working for the Mewat community on various human rights issues.
On June 19 morning, the letter reads, Abid Hussain, ASI of Mewat police along with three other unidentified police officials barged into the house of Mohd Arif without a warrant or substantiated suspicion.
As per the letter, the cops came at a time when only his mother, wife and children were at home. “When the family asked the police to show a warrant, the cops threatened the family,” they alleged.
“The police after entering the house without any warrant or court order vandalised his property and made baseless accusations and unsubstantiated claims against Arif, saying that he was in possession of illegal arms, which have not been recovered,” alleged the Civil Society, saying this incident happened when Arif was away in Punhana, Mewat, conducting fact-finding on encounter cases along with colleagues of Aman Biradari.