Ten years of Godhra carnage, this Ishrat lived to tell her tale

February 28, 2012

ModiAhmedabad, February 28: There are two Ishrat Jahans making CM Narendra Modi government's life difficult today. While one was killed in a fake encounter and the case has resulted in many cops being booked and pushed behind bars. The other is guarded by police as she is a witness to the Naroda Patia massacre. She has recently recorded her statement with special investigation team (SIT) and has vowed to fight for justice till the end. This Ishrat Jahan is a spunky 32-year-old mother of three who lives in Hussain Nagar in Naroda Patia. She was only 22 when she witnessed the horror of mob, including her Hindu neighbours, rummaging through the entire neighbourhood with arms in their hands, looting homes, setting them afire.

While Mumbra-based Ishrat Jahan (19) was gunned down in 2004 along with three men - alleged LeT operatives - accompanying her, this Ishrat managed to escape with her husband, two small children and four brothers and sisters. The road to justice however was long for both of them. Incidentally, the SIT was instrumental in getting the wheels of justice move for both of them. In 2011, SIT submitted a report that Ishrat Jahan was killed in a fake encounter and that she was already in police custody before her killing. This led to the investigations now being handed over to CBI. Ishrat Jahan of Naroda Patia became a witness first with the SIT specially appointed by the Supreme Court to probe further into the Naroda Patia massacre.

She was a witness to the mayhem but in her words she thought you could be a witness only if your had witnessed a murder. "I used to stay in Shah Alam relief camp but never gave my statements. I was too worried about how will I survive, will get my sisters married and manage food for my children. It was only in 2008 when I saw SIT team recording statements that I realized that I could be a soldier in the army needed to secure justice for the Naroda Patia where 93 people were killed," says Ishrat. This unlettered woman has recorded her statement with SIT and also given her testimony to the court. In the meantime, she also realized that her husband was struggling alone and was not getting enough business to sustain the family.

"He does hand embroidery and the invasion of machines has left him without business. I knew stitching but never earned. Since three years, I started tailoring and now also teach sewing to girls in the locality. I have finally managed to stand on my feet," says Ishrat who earns Rs 3,000 per month. She got her two sisters married, one while living in the relief camp and other later. Her brother, however, has wandered on the wrong side of law. "What happened in 2002 changed him. My focus is to straighten him," says Ishrat who says she is confident that her fight for justice will bear fruit. "I started receiving threat calls the minute I named people, living across the street. But I am not afraid. There is law on my side and there are people who believe that injustice was done. The guilty will be punished," she says.

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Agencies
April 24,2020

New Delhi, Apr 24: The Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) on Friday accused Delhi Police of framing two of its members - Meeran Haider, Safoora Zargar, along with student leader Umar Khalid, as part of "an imaginary conspiracy behind the recent North East Delhi riots".

While Haider was arrested on April 2, Zargar was taken in custody on April 10 for their alleged involvement in fuelling the riots.

"These arrests by the police have little ground, and the charges seem to have no rhyme or reason. Safoora was even granted bail in the case she was initially arrested in, following which she was arrested and had heavier charges placed against her," the JCC said in a statement.

Meeran, Safoora and Umar have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which allows curbing of fundamental rights in order to protect the sovereignty of India. The JCC, however, claimed that in this case, the Act is being used to suppress their voices.

"This Act has been used against many activists working to protect constitutional morality, a list which now includes members of the JCC, a wholly constitutionalist collective of students and alumni," the JCC said, defending its members.

JCC maintained it had no role in Delhi riots, but apprehended that more people will be arrested by the Delhi Police as part of its conspiracy against students and protestors.

"It is almost certain that more protesters will be framed and arrested in the conspiracy invented by the Delhi Police. JCC reiterates that it played no part in the riots, and this fact will be proved before any court of law," it said in a statement.

It also demanded political parties, and university administration take a stand for the two accused JCC members and student leader Umar Khalid.

The JCC came into existence after a violent face-off between Delhi Police and unruly anti-CAA protestors left Jamia Millia Islamia vandalised. It was after this, that a group of students from the Jamia Millia formed it to decide upon the future course of actions in protest against the CAA and the police action.

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News Network
June 5,2020

Jun 5: Meerut Police on Thursday claimed that around 13,500 mobile phones in the country are running on the same IMEI, the number used to identify the device.

A case of fraud has been registered against the mobile phone manufacturing company and its service center, the police said.

The matter surfaced, after police personnel gave his mobile phone to the staff at cybercrime cell for examination, as the new phone was not working properly despite being repaired, Meerut SP (city) Akhilesh N Singh said.

The cyber cell found that around 13,500 other mobile phones are also running on the same International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) as that of the police personnel's phone, the superintendent of police said.

He said the matter is a serious security issue.

Prima facie it appears to be negligence on part of the mobile phone company and criminals can use it to their advantage, Singh said.

He said a case has been registered under relevant sections of the law at a Medical police station and a team of experts has been called to look into the matter.

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News Network
January 6,2020

Jammu, Jan 6: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said India is the only shelter for religiously persecuted Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities who come from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan, for the safety of their life and honour.

"India owes responsibility towards the minorities living in these countries which proclaim Islam as their state religion," Singh said here while launching the BJP's countrywide 10-day mass contact drive to spread awareness about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Accompanied by senior party colleagues, including former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta and former minister Sat Sharma, he began by visiting the house of veteran columnist, writer and Padmashri awardee K L Pandita, where he spent time with them discussing the Act.

Later, he visited prominent social activist Amjad Mirza, eminent Sikh religious leader Baba Swaranjit Singh, retired High Court judge Justice G D Sharma, veteran journalist and former bureau head of Hind Samachar group Gopal Sachar, retired principal of Jammu government medical college Subhash Gupta, social activist and president of Peoples' Forum Ramesh Sabharwal, among others.

During his interaction with them, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office claimed that Congress leaders and their allies protesting against the Act are doing so without "conviction".

He opined that if a "survey" was conducted among the family members of these Congress leaders, then, even they would not support their "anti-CAA stand".

"The tragedy of Congress party and contemporary leaders of Congress is that either they do not read their own history or are blissfully ignorant of the statements made by their own party patriarchs and former prime ministers," he said.

The minister recalled that the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950 was inspired by the realisation on the part of the then Congress government headed by prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru that minorities, particularly Hindus, were not getting a fair deal in Pakistan.

"In 1949, Nehru had written a letter expressing concern about people coming in from then East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh, and while doing so, he had referred to Hindus coming from there as 'refugees' and Muslims arriving here as 'immigrants'," Singh said.

Further, Nehru had stated that India owed a "responsibility" to these refugees, the minister said.

Referring to the opposition of senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to the amended legislation, the minister said someone should show them records of proceedings of the winter session of Parliament in 1950 when their great-grandfather (Nehru) had himself said that they deserved to be given citizenship and if the law was inadequate for it, then, the law should be changed.

"PM Modi should actually be given credit for showing courage and conviction to carry forward the task, which the Congress government lacked, to accomplish this," the minister opined.

Singh reiterated that a false fear psychosis against Muslims is being sought to be manufactured when there is no place as safe and comfortable to live for the community as India.

Turning the tables on the opposition to the National Population Register(NPR) and proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), Singh pointed out that PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have been stating that the exercise on NRC is yet to begin.

He also said that it was then Union home minister P Chidambaram, who had stated in Parliament in 2010 that NPR could be a basis for NRC.

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