Update:
Late Sunday evening post 9 pm an update from his family in Lucknow: Mohammed Shohaib returned home after over 12 hours in detention
Mohammed Shoaib was taken away around 7.15 am by a group of police personnel, Malka Bi said in a letter to the Aminabad police station in Lucknow. She said the officials did not tell her why they picked Shoaib up.
“My husband was sleeping when the police arrived at our home,” Malka Bi told Scroll. “There were six to seven officials in plain clothes and three in uniform. My husband has not done anything at all. I don’t know why he was taken away.”
Malka Bi told the Lucknow Police that Shoaib has been suffering from high blood pressure for the past 15 years and has been unwell for the past six months.
Shoaib is the founder of an organisation named Rihai Manch, which offers legal assistance to marginalised communities. In December 2019, he was arrested in connection with protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. He was granted bail on January 15, 2020. According to other activists from Rihai Manch, there is no reasons given by his arrest.
Other activists detained
Two other activists, Parvez Ahmed and Rais Ahmed have been detained by the Adampur Thane at Varanasi according to information received from Communist Front in Varanasi which has stated in a press note that these are part of a strong of arrests across the state, all “targeting Muslim activists”. The press note has been issued by Sagar Gupta of Communist Front.
Background to Mohammed Shohaib’s arrest
Lawyer and activist, Mohammed Shoaib (72), who is also the President of Rihai Manch, was then granted interim protection by the Allahabad High Court after he was charged under the Gangster Act in Uttar Pradesh for being part of a criminal gang during anti-CAA protests. The Allahabad High court was hearing Shoaib’s petition to quash the case filed under sections 2 and 3 of the UP Gangsters and Anti-social Activities (Prevention) Act. The court has granted protection to Shoaib until the police files the report under section 173 (2) of the CrPC.
Shoaib was earlier arrested on December 19, from his home while he was on house arrest for his alleged involvement in the violence that broke out in Lucknow during the protests. The police claimed in court that Shoaib was present at the protest site when he was arrested. The Sessions court in Lucknow granted him bail in January, after a month of him being arrested.
In 2016 Sabrangindia had done a profile of the septuagenarian lawyer advocate’s contribution to the battle for human rights. Read https://sabrangindia.in/
The representation by Malka bi to the Aminabad police, Lucknow may be read here.
Her video taken locally after her husband’s arrest may be viewed here.
