‘Need to instil confidence among minorities’

The undivided Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Commission has taken a serious note of the increasing attacks on Muslim and Christian minorities in recent times.

It has decided to write to the Chief Ministers of both the States to take corrective measures and not allow the feeling of discrimination and harassment to grow further.

The Commission will ask the governments and the police authorities to conduct detailed inquiry wherever there are complaints of deprivation of rights and to instil confidence in the minorities, said Abid Rasool Khan, Commission chairman.

In the case of the encounter at Alair in Nalgonda, the Commission has decided to appoint an Advocate Commissioner to examine the witnesses, police officers, jail officials and also parents of those shot dead in the encounter.

The Commission has already received detailed reports from the Nalgonda Collector, P. Satyanarayana Reddy, and Superintendent of Police, Vikram Jeet Duggal, about the encounter which took place on April 7.

After receipt of the Advocate Commissioner’s report, the Commission has the option to hold a public hearing into the encounter or submit a report to the government.

Meanwhile, the Commission is sending a five-member team to Nizamabad on Friday to enquire into the custodial death of Shaikh Hyder on March 22 in One Town police station.

Mr. Khan said the Commission was also looking into the death of Rahima Bee (40) in Doma village of Pargi mandal. She was allegedly abused and kicked by police when she went to secure the release of her daughter and son-in-law arrested in some petty case. Bee was believed to have consumed poison at the police station and declared brought dead at the hospital. The SI was suspended after the intervention of the Commission.

Mr. Khan expressed concern at the attempts to seek vacation of the Beulah Church in Patencheru by Bajrang Dal and RSS members. “The Commission is looking into all these cases and will write to the government to render justice and instil confidence among minorities,” Mr. Khan said.

State Minorities Commission to write to Chief Ministers of AP and TS on ‘increasing attacks’