Pooja Shukla was abducted by UP police at around 4.30 pm as she was just walking out of a friend’s house in the Polytechnic area in Gomtinagar. According to Shukla, two police vans loaded with about twenty police men and women, some in uniform, some in plainclothes came to detain her. “As they were forcibly detaining me, they kept thrashing me. The male police officers instructed the women constables to pull my hair and thrash me,  ‘Phone chheeno S##@i se, baal nocho, (snatch her phone, pull her hair) they said’” informed a bruised and exhausted Pooja Shukla as she was let off at around 9.10 pm today after she was practically kidnapped by the police!

As she was picked up, her phone was snatched away from her and remained unanswerable even after several calls. Her worried friends kept trying to track her even as she was being taken to a deserted area. After reaching a certain spot, which was completely deserted, the police told her that they were planning to just leave her there. But a defiant Shukla refused to step out of the vehicle. “I told them, drop me back to the same place where you picked me” she said.

Meanwhile, the women police officers kept having a ‘good time’ with Pooja’s phone. Initially they didn’t answer calls, later they started proxy answering on Pooja’s behalf. Every ten minutes their narrative of where Pooja was, kept changing. To one caller they said that Pooja was at the mall, while to another caller they said she was taking care of her friend Sadaf’s baby who was unwell. To another caller, the lady constable said, “I am her mother and Pooja is sitting right next to me.” To their shock and dismay, the caller turned out to be Pooja’s father who informed them that Pooja’s mother was, in fact, sitting right in front of him. But the police woman did not lose a beat and casually responded saying, “Oh, I was joking, she is roaming around the mall.”

This was the most callous, careless and irresponsible manner in which a 23 year old girl was ‘picked up’ and “mentally tortured” for about five hours even as the friends and family remained extremely tensed and kept making multiple rounds of police stations in the vicinity, as also kept calling higher ranking officers. “We don’t know anything about the arrest of any such girl. We are right now busy with preparations for PM’s visit” was the standard response from most of them.

As Pooja returned, she recounted the horror, “They kept spewing horrible and obscene swear words at me.” Taunting at her on her stand for students rights they said, “Oh, you want publicity? You want media attention? You have been posting too much. Refrain from writing anything on social media otherwise the consequences won’t be to your liking!”

As they wouldn’t let her answer her calls, Pooja made an excuse that she needed to urgently use a washroom. When they stopped at a “Sulabh Shauchalaya” (public toilet), she made a quick call using the toilet attendant’s phone and informed her friends that it appears that she has been abducted and is being taken to some unknown location. After mentally torturing her for close to five hours and giving her some thrashing initially, they finally let her off only when Pooja started collapsing from fatigue and stress.

While dropping her, they said, “We will keep you inside [the jail] for so long that you won’t be able to come out. We are yet to impose NSA on you. We haven’t forgotten what happened at the [Lucknow] University.”

Sadaf Jafar, a teacher and supporter of the strike, who initially reported about this abduction, asked, “If none of the police officers whom we called knew if she was arrested, under whose orders was she picked up in this manner?”

The 23 year old student leader had gone on a hunger strike when the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Lucknow University (LU) withheld her entrance exam results, barring her from taking admission in a master’s course. Subsequently, Shukla along with fellow protesters was brutalised by UP police, lathi-charged, her clothes torn, though there was FIR lodged against her. Due to the police torture she had fainted and suffered hypotension and dehydration. During this time, police also forced her to break her fast, stop the strike and take back her demands. Since then there has been constant threat to her life because of her peaceful movement against the irregularities in admission procedure of LU.

Interestingly this abduction and intimidation took place while PM Modi is on a visit to Lucknow to “attend a programme marking the third anniversary of three key urban development initiatives.” It’s shameful that on the same day that the PM is visiting, a student leader involved in a peaceful movement demanding basic students’ rights was abducted in this manner. It appears that the police were trying to prevent any protests that could take place on the PM’s visit given Pooja’s previous attempt to wave black flags at UP CM Adityanath in June 2017. It is also disturbing to note that just a few hours ago, police had manhandled some women for waving black flags at an event to welcome BJP Chief Amit Shah. What is the difference between police men and paid henchmen, when abducting, intimidating and brutalising a young girl is how they hope to curb voices of dissent?
 

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Pooja Shukla was taken by unidentified men to an undisclosed location and doesn’t have her mobile phone with her. She managed to get someone else’s phone and quickly informed an acquaintance that she has been abducted. “I am feeling very scared. I don’t know who these people are, they don’t look like policemen”, she informed on the phone. She has said that she has been kept in a dark room and doesn’t know what is going to happen.

This is one more assault on this student leader from Lucknow University. She had gone on a hunger strike when the VC of the university withheld her entrance exam results, barring her from taking admission in a master’s course.

Subsequently, Pooja Shukla along with fellow protesters was brutalised by UP police, lathi-charged, her clothes torn, though there was FIR lodged against her. Due to the police torture she had fainted and suffered hypotension and dehydration. During this time, police also forced her to break her fast, stop the strike and take back her demands.

Sadaf Jafar, a teacher and supporter of the strike had highlighted how the VC of the varsity was behaving in a threatening manner, “The VC had warned Pooja that he carries two guns and can shoot her anytime he wants. There was no security for her at nights and the VC had the Chhatrasangh room locked and the only toilet in the area was also locked.”

Since then there has been constant threat to her life because of her peaceful movement against the irregularities in admission procedure of LU.

On the other hand, PM Modi is on a visit to Lucknow to “take part to attend a programme marking the anniversary marking the third anniversary of three key urban development initiatives.”

It’s shameful that on the same day that the PM is visiting, a student leader involved in a peaceful movement demanding basic students’ rights is abducted in this manner.

UP state government needs to urgently look into this and find out about Pooja Shukla’s whereabouts!

Image Courtesy: twocircles.net

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The abduction: February 2009
Zakkariya was arrested on Feb 5, 2009, from a mobile shop in Tirur, Malappuram, where he had been working. It was more of an abduction than an arrest. Legally, the arrest in such cases should happen only after informing the local police station. The family of the accused should also be made aware of the arrest. In the case of Zakkariya, neither of these formalities were followed. The family was unaware of the situation until on the 3rd day after the arrest when Zakkariya called home to say that he had been arrested and taken to Bangalore for some reason he did not know.

Photo credit: Maktoob Media
 
The unsound accusations
Zakkariya lost his father when he was ten. The family was then at the mercy of Beeyumma’s brothers. Zakkariya had a very disciplined childhood, under the care of his uncles. He chose to study B-Com after his twelfth grade but had to drop the course as he had to support the family. He then joined for a one-year electronics course after which he got employed in the Mobile shop at Tirur. Four months after he joined the shop, the arrest happened. Zakkariya is accused of providing help in the making of trimmers and microchips for the blast. For someone who has zero experience in the field, it is nearly impossible to deal with such equipment which needs professional skills. The two witnesses produced by the Karnataka police were Nizamuddin and Haridas, both illiterate in the Kannada language. Nizamuddin later explained how he was forced by the police to sign a statement written in Kannada. Both of them later claimed of being deceived by the police and having no connection with Zakkariya. When there is so much to prove his innocence why are the media and the public still not interested in Zakkariya? What is this double standard?

The mother, Beeyumma
Beeyumma ran around demanding justice for her son. Finally heartbroken she said “God is there above all the sarkars and his court stands above all the courts. My son will be given justice there.” Beeyumma was turned away by the Left government, still busy establishing it’s secular stands against fascism. The same government’s police haunted Beeyumma and her family that she had to leave her home. Neighbours and relatives stopped talking to the terrorist’s mother. But Beeyumma stood strong. She did not lose hope when she read from the newspapers about the chronic headaches and serious physical and mental conditions that was eating up his son. She let the tears flow but never let the rage settle. In the past nine years, Zakkariya was allowed parole only twice. She wouldn’t have seen enough of her son before she had to send him back to prison. Beeyumma still believes that her son will be set free. The faith keeps her going. When the truth began to sprout out, Beeyumma got support from the natives and some social activists and other organisations. They formed ‘The Justice For Zakkariya Action Forum’, which is still fighting for justice. It’s been nine years and Beeyumma is still waiting for the judiciary to finally find out the truth and bring her son back.

Zakkariya isn’t alone.

The word ‘Agrahara’ means ‘Brahminical Village’. (Just moved by the irony of such a name in the present political condition of India). The Bengaluru Parappana Agrahara jail is the largest in the country spreading over 40 acres of land. It has thousands of such innocent ‘terrorists’ like Zakkariya, curbed in its darkness, all waiting for trial. Sometimes the undertrials will have to spend a lifetime in the prison, before being proven innocent in the judgement. Or else, they die never being able to prove their innocence to the world.
The country is witnessing the cruelest violations of the constitution. According to an estimate in 2014, more than 55% of the undertrials in various jails across the country are Muslims, Dalits, and Tribals. Over 82,190 Muslim youths in the country are behind the bars. How many of them would be innocent like Zakkariya? Won’t they have mother’s waiting for their return in some or the other part of this country? Are those mother’s being aware of their country itself being turned into another Agrahara? Like the Rohingyas are thrown out of Myanmar, and like Palestinians are attacked in their land they are putting a whole community behind the bars. The world’s largest democracy is stinking. Stinking of mother’s tears. Mothers of Rohit, Najeeb, Junaid, Zakkariya and how many more?

The author is a student of B.A Functional English at Farook College, Calicut and a native of Thrissur

Courtesy: Two Circles
 

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Further, Delhi also reported the highest crime rate (1,222.5 crimes per 100,000 population) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to data published by the National Crime Records Bureau. Delhi was followed by Kochi (757.9) and Jaipur (756.5), data show.
 
Delhi accounted for nearly 39% of all crimes under the IPC reported in cities in 2016, followed by Bengaluru (9%) and Mumbai (8%). IPC crimes in Delhi increased 43% in two years from 139,707 in 2014 to 199,445 in 2016.

As many as 2,194 murders were reported across 19 cities in India, down 6% over 2014. Delhi reported the most–479 murders in 2016, with a murder rate of 2.9 per 100,000 population. Patna, the capital of Bihar, reported the highest rate of murder (9.5) with 195 cases in 2016, a 5% decline over 2014.
 
Kidnapping & abduction up 30% in two years
 
Kidnapping and abduction cases across metro cities increased 30%–to 15,041 in 2016 from 11,589 in 2014. Delhi reported the most (5,925) kidnapping and abduction cases in 2016, 16 every day, followed by Mumbai (1,949) and Bengaluru (974).
 
Patna reported the highest rate for kidnapping and abduction in 2016–40.2 cases per 100,000 population, against the national average of 13.2. Patna was followed by Delhi (36.3) and Lucknow (31.9).
 
As many as 13,803 crimes (IPC and special & local laws) against women were reported in Delhi, or 38 every day, topping the list in terms of cases and crime rate (182.1 crimes per 100,000 women), against the national average of 77.2. Delhi was followed by Mumbai (5,128 cases). Crimes against women across 19 cities increased 9% from 38,385 in 2014 to 41,761 in 2016.
 
Cruelty by husband or his relatives (29%) was the major crime reported against women in 2016, followed by assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty (25%), kidnaping & abduction (22%) and rape (12%).
 
Delhi had most cases of cruelty by husband or his relatives (3,645), followed by Hyderabad (1,311) and Jaipur (1,008). In terms of crime rate, Jaipur was the worst at 69.5 crimes per 100,000 women, as against the national average of 22.6.
 
Delhi topped the list for most (1,996) rapes reported among 19 cities in 2016, or five every day. The city also ranked first in terms of crime rate (26.3 cases per 100,000 women) for rape, against the national average of 9.1, followed by Jaipur (22.8) and Indore (17.2).
 
Delhi reported the most (144) dowry deaths with a crime rate of 1.9 crimes per 100,000 women in 2016. Patna was the worst in terms of crime rate (7.9) against the national average of 0.9, followed by Kanpur (3.7) and Lucknow (3).
 
Besides the 515,635 crimes reported under the IPC across the 19 metropolitan cities, 2016 also saw 295,002 crimes reported under special and local laws (SLL) — such as Motor Vehicle Act,  Land Revenue Act and Money Lenders Act and acts related to crimes against women and children — bringing the total to 808,637 crimes, an increase of 6.5% over 2015.
 
Kochi reported the highest crime rate (2,553.1 crimes per 100,000 population), including both IPC and SLL crimes. Kochi was followed by Nagpur (1,714.6), Chennai (1,308.6), Delhi (1,263.9) and Surat (1,243.3).
 
(Mallapur is an analyst with IndiaSpend.)
 

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An activist colleague of Medha Patkar, Bilal Khan’s account (in his own words) of his close brush with the MP police. 

Narmada Bachao activists’ brush with the MP police

I, along with four others, reached Bombay Hospital, Indore on August 8 to meet Medha Patkar who was forcefully hospitalised on the 12th day of her indefinite fast by the Madhya Pradesh Police. Medha Patkar was fasting to protest against the illegal submergence of 192 villages and one township in Madhya Pradesh by the backwaters of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
 

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She was at a rally peacefully protesting with several others about the mysterious disappearance of her son. They were demanding that the police and the central government need to do much more to trace Najeeb.

The rally was disbanded by the police. There is enough of evidence (viral on social media) to show how Fatima was dragged, manhandled and detained by the police. Several other protestors (including students) were also detained.

This is not the first incident happening this past week. Some opposition political leaders who were protesting the death of a retired soldier were also arrested and were made to stop their protests. The son of the soldier who had gone to meet these leaders was beaten up by the police.

The popular TV channel NDTV India, will be taken off the air on November 9 for 24 hours because of the inconvenient questions they asked and their coverage of the Pathankot terror attack that took place on January 2 this year. Another channel from Assam has been given the same treatment. For several months now, there has been a virtual black-out on the media (mainly electronic and social) from Kashmir.

The BJP, the main ruling party, has gone to town about the “surgical strikes” on Pakistan. This is rather unfortunate. Anyone questioning the veracity of these ‘surgical strikes’ or asking for more information is termed ‘anti-national’ or ‘unpatriotic’. Pakistan certainly does not have a favourable track record either on human rights or on the freedom of its citizens. However, there are well-meaning citizens in both countries who would like the avenues of dialogue to be kept open and to continue Indo-Pak bonding on meaningful fronts. This is also frowned upon.

India has upped its military spending. Precious foreign reserves are squandered on what is conveniently referred to as ‘upgrading’ the military. Countries who need to sell from their stockpiles, find India an easy customer. The budgets for essentials like education, health, agriculture, employment generation, poverty alleviation programmes have been drastically cut. This does not augur well for ‘development’ meant to be inclusive and holistic.

Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) are pushed to the wall. Organisations which take a stand for truth and justice and for the Constitutional rights of the oppressed are denied the possibility of receiving foreign aid. Right-wing fascists with full support from the ruling class, lynch you or beat you because of what you believe in, eat, dress, write, see etc. Crony capitalism is on the rise.

It has never been so bad in India! Opposition, students and liberal media are suppressed; Rights and Freedoms are curtailed; dissent is quashed! Today it is not merely the writing on the wall: the dismantling of democracy has begun!

(Fr Cedric Prakash sj is a human rights activist. He is currently based in Lebanon, engaged with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in the Middle East on advocacy and communications. Contact: cedricprakash@gmail.com)         
 

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