In the hours after Afzal Guru’s execution, officers from the Special Cell of the Delhi Police detained a senior journalist and locked his young children into the bedroom of his flat before finally releasing him.
Iftikhar Gilani, who works for DNA, is the son-in-law of the Kashmiri separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani. In 2002, he was arrested by the Special Cell on false charges of violating the Official Secrets Act and held in Tihar jail for several months before the then government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee ordered the police to drop the case.
“I was putting my bag in the car to leave for office around 10-30 a.m. when two persons approached me, asking for [my father-in-law’s] house … I told them he lives in another block at which one of them requested me to accompany them. On the way, they told me they are from the Delhi Police Special Cell. When we reached there, I saw a large number of men in plainclothes. As I started to leave after pointing towards the flat, they grabbed me and virtually dragged me to the first floor,” said Mr. Gilani.
“After 15 minutes, I saw they were escorting my wife also to this flat. I got worried, my school-going children were alone in my house. I repeatedly asked them why they are detaining me. All the time, they were quite rude, threatening and warning me of dire consequences… After five hours, an officer type person came and shouted my name and then announced, ‘You are free and you can leave this house’ … When I reached my home, some 7-8 unknown people were there in the drawing room and living room and they had kept my children locked in the bedroom… [They] were terrified.’’
Though Iftikhar Gilani, Syd Ali Shah Geelani and the Hurriyat leader, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, were all kept under detention, the Delhi Police deny any such step was taken.
“I have no issues with what the Government wants to do to maintain law and order,” Iftikhar Gilani said. “Though Mr. Geelani is my father-in-law, I have repeatedly said I have nothing to do with his politics. I owe my living to journalism for the past two decades in Delhi. It was ridiculous on the part of the authorities to behave like this. I am so scared. I have tried my best to raise my children in an atmosphere of peace and compassion. I have no idea what I should do to prove myself as a peace loving and law abiding citizen,” said Mr. Gilani.
This is what Delhi
Police is all about..Do u know that my friend got admission in IIT,Delhi but his parents didn't allow him,fearing the attitude of Delhi Police against the Kashmiris. How can India call Kashmir its integral part when kashmiris are denied the basic human rights...
The Delhi police deserves condemnation for harassing journalist
Iftikhar Gilani and his family. He has repeatedly disassociated
himself from his father-in-law's politics. Why was he unnecessarily
picked up? Why was his wife also detained? They were only allowed to
go after protests and phone calls to the Home Ministry by several
journalists. The entire episode must have been particularly traumatic
for their small children who were locked up in a room of their home.
The Delhi Union of Journalists strongly condemns this irresponsible
action on the part of the police, Sujata Madhok, DUJ
The government has a responsibility to maintain law and order and can arrest people on apprehension. But it cannot act in a unlawful manner. Even a if a person has to be detained his rights must be legally respected.
This is at once diabolical as it is ridiculous. If the Delhi Police deny that it was not they who detained Mr. Gilani and his family, then who might it be? Will the Delhi Police take up this issue and investigate as to who could have masterminded such an operation and the put together a team who impersonated the officers of the Special Cell and illegally held a law-abiding citizen against his will - not to forget that they went to the extent of locking up innocent children in their own home.
First it is totally unacceptable to keep someone's children without any
adult and responsible family member being there. We all need to condemn
it and oppose it else Police can do this to anyone in the nation. Being
a father to a 4 year old boy, I feel so bad for the kids and their
parents.
Second why our government officials can't behave with other people...Is
it necessary to grab someone and drag him/her or talk to them rudely?
we all hear these stories everyday and sometimes even see the same on
TV news also. Our police force has serious superiority problem and they
need to be disciplined.
This is a blot on indian democracy.This is usually the way police and
other govt agencies behave especially with minorities in india.
Thank God police didn't declare you terrorist. For Delhi police it is
not a difficult task.
SHAMEFUL... locking up children and terrorising them for hours... it
leaves these children with mental scars all their life. These policemen
and such ppl in authority have deteriorated our Country and such
behaviour by the men in authority give birth to terrorists. becoz you
bring harm to innocent ppl, they take to weapons and terrorists are
born. If tomorrow these innocent children take up arms... U the Police
will be responsible for the same
My heart goes out to Mr. Gilani's ordeal. Why should a peace-loving
citizen be harassed like this? If we want to prevent foolish use of
resources so law enforcement can focus on real terrorists and criminals,
authorities should investigate who was responsible for his arrest and
either prosecute them or descipline them.This is not a good use of
taxpayers money and resource.
This is an ugly incident and a blot on democratic India we profess.the authorities owe an apology to Mr.Iftikar Gilani and his family.
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