Naini Central jail fails to notify kin on Javed Mohammad’s transfer

Naini Central Jail Image Courtesy: siasat.com

Nearly 10 days after Prayagraj (Allahabad) police illegally arrested local activist Javed Mohammad, Naini Central jail authorities on June 20, 2022 denied his presence in the institution to his family. Wife Parveen Fatima wrote an open letter condemning authorities for failing to notify kin about his transfer.

“We have been hearing rumours from the media and others that several inmates of Naini Central jail, including my husband, have been transferred to several jails across UP, and that my husband may have been transferred to Deoria jail, but no official confirmation has been given to us or our lawyers. My children and I are concerned about his safety and health,” said Parveen in her letter.

Jail authorities and district administration have denied presence of my father, Janab Javed Muhammad, in the Naini Central Jail where he was kept following his arrest. We are concerned about his safety and health! pic.twitter.com/C9bIfsRuQY
— Afreen Fatima (@AfreenFatima136) June 20, 2022

As per sources, local jail authorities failed to intimate family members about Mohammad’s transfer to another jail. Jail regulations clearly state that the family of an accused should be notified if a person is shifted to another place.

According to the Hindustan Times, 10 accused were transferred on administrative grounds. Senior police superintendent Ajay Kumar told the publication that authorities feared the group would create trouble in the central jail. This was done based on the recommendation of the district administration. While Mohammad was to be taken to Deoria jail, others were to be transferred to prisons in Kanpur, Gautam Budh Nagar, Fatehgarh, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Agra, and Jhansi. Sources, now tell SabrangIndia that Parveen is going to meet her husband in Deoria Jail today.

Overall, more than 400 people were arrested for the anti-Nupur Sharma protests. Economic Times reported 100 arrests in Howrah and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal. In Jharkhand, the Ranchi police registered 25 FIRs against ‘thousands’ of people after clashes that resulted in two deaths and injuries to scores of people. Uttar Pradesh alone report at least 325 arrests in 13 FIRs.

Charges against Javed Mohammad

Mohammad was accused of being the “mastermind” of the June 10 Atala violence where some people engaged in stone pelting during the anti-Nupur Sharma protests. These were protests condemning the hate speech spewed by suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma against Prophet Mohammad and Islam. Parveen has called the claims against her husband as “cooked up allegations and false charges”.

On the intervening night between June 10 and June 11, Javed, Parveen and their younger daughter were detained by the police without an arrest warrant. Police also tried to take away their oldest daughter and anti-CAA activist Afreen Fatima and her sister-in-law, but the two resisted. Finally on the next day, their house was demolished by the Prayagraj administration. Authorities produced a document accusing Mohammad of building a house on encroached land. However, as later stated by the family, the house was built in Parveen’s name.

Worse still, the the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) identified 40 houses in Atala region by June 15 that allegedly built on encroached land. Most of these were houses of those people accused of violence during the Friday protests.

The listed nowadays run from pillar to post trying to gather documented evidence of their residence. Indian Express quoted one family to be fearing the time when a bulldozer will appear before their house.