Sendhwa (Madhya Pradesh): Family members of three persons who are named in the list of the accused involved in stone-pelting and violence during the Ram Navami procession in Sendhwa town of Barwani district on April 10 have claimed that the three are already in jail for the past one month.
According to information, Shahbaaz, Fakhru and Rauf- accused in a case of attempt to murder - are in jail since March 5, but their names have figured in police records in connection with communal clashes that erupted in Sendhwa earlier this month. Even Sendhwa sub-jail jailer Ajay Verma confirmed that the trio is in jail for the last one month.
So far, Sendhwa police have arrested 40 accused after 14 different FIRs were lodged.
Raising questions over the police action, Shahbaaz's mother Sakina said her son is in jail, so how could the police make him an accused of a crime which he has not committed.
She added that all three accused are lodged in jail in a case of attempt to murder since March 5. Shahbaz's house has also been demolished by the administration. Shahbaz, being a habitual offender, has a total of 5 cases registered against him. Recently, action has been taken against him under NSA.
On the other hand, local police claimed that the matter will be investigated. Sendhwa sub-divisional officer (police) Manohar Singh Baria said that police had registered a case on the basis of a complaint by the complainant after stone-pelting and arson.
Baria added that police will gather more information from the jail superintendent about whether the accused are in jail or not.
Meanwhile, politics over the incident intensified as Congress leader and former Union minister Arun Yadav questioned administration and police action.
Congress has accused the Sendhwa administration of falsely implicating a man, who is languishing in jail, in a riot case and demolishing his house without proper investigation.
Citing the case which is making rounds on social media platforms, Yadav said that he has been asking the government not to initiate action against anyone without proper investigation.
'I have been urging chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, home minister Narottam Mishra and other responsible officials of the government not to take action without investigation,' said the former president of MP Congress.
ìIt is not surprising at all considering the past record of the police. One of the accused whose house was bulldozed has been in jail since March but the administrative action has harmed his family. What is the use of courts, then, asked Yadav.
