The controversy over the alleged fake encounter of two suspected criminals here took a new twist on Friday with the police booking 10 activists, including Aligarh Muslim University and Jawaharlal Nehru University student leaders, saying they had abducted family members of one of the deceased.
The case was registered at Atrauli police station on Thursday on the basis of a complaint filed by the wife of Mustaqeem (22), one of the suspected criminals shot dead in the encounter, Hina, SHO Pervaish Rana said.
The activists have been charged with abducting Mustaqeem’s mother and grandmother.
The group of activists included JNU 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 AMU Students’ Union Masqoor Usmani and Faizul Hasan, Mr. Rana said.
According to Mr. 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.
Mr. Hasan claimed that while the group was talking to the SHO, some local right-wing activists came 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, then left with the activists, who were apparently going to Delhi. Following this, the police registered the abduction complaint.
On September 20, Mustaqeem and another alleged criminal Naushad, who carried a bounty of ₹25,000 each on their heads, were killed in an encounter with police in Harduaganj here.
Police had claimed that the two, who were riding a motorcycle, opened fire at policemen when they tried to stop them at a checkpost.
A chase and exchange of fire ensued in which Mustaqeem and Naushad were grievously injured; they later succumbed to injuries.
Before they died on the way to a hospital, they confessed to their involvement in the killing of two sadhus earlier this month, Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Sahani had said.
However, Naushad’s mother had refuted the charges and claimed that the two did not have any criminal record.
Published - September 28, 2018 10:55 pm IST
