10 activists booked for ‘abducting’ family members of slain criminal

AGRA : The controversy over the alleged fake encounter of two suspected criminals here took a new turn on Friday with the police booking 10 activists, including AMU and JNU student leaders, saying they had abducted family members of one of the deceased.

Prashant Singh, circle officer, Atrauli (Aligarh), said, “The case was registered on Thursday after a complaint lodged by Hina, the wife of Mustaqeem (22), one of the suspected criminals killed after the encounter with the police in Harduaganj area of Aligarh about a week ago.”

The activists were charged with abducting Mustaqeem’s mother and grandmother. The group of activists, included Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid, but he has not been named in the complaint.

Those named in the complaint include activists of “United Against Hate” forum, including former presidents of Aligarh Muslim University student union Masqoor Usmani and Faizul Hasan, Rana said.

According to Hasan, the activists visited Mustaqeem’s residence on Thursday and assured his family members of all possible legal aid in their quest for justice.

The group then visited Atrauli police station and raised the issue of alleged harassment of Mustaqeem’s family members by police.

Hasan told reporters that while the group was talking to the SHO, some local saffron group leaders came there and tried to browbeat them into leaving the place. An argument ensued and the police had to intervene.

Mustaqeem’s mother, Shabana, and grandmother, Rafiquan, left with the activists, who were apparently going to Delhi. On this, the police registered the abduction complaint. According to the police, Hina’s wife Mustaqeem alleged that seven to eight people came to her house, two of them from Aligarh Muslim University and ide- ntified themselves as Masqoor and Faizul Hasan. Quoting her, the police also claimed they tuto- red her to implicate the police by insisting that it was a fake encounter.